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Jusques  dans  leuvs  demarches  les  plus  indiff6rentes  on  apper^oit  des  traces  de  la 
religion  prirnitive  ;  niais  qui  echapent  a  ceux,  qui  ne  les  etudient  pas  assez,  par  la 
raison  qu'elles  sont  encore  plus  eff'acees  par  le  defaut  d'instruction,  qu'alterees  par 
le  melange  d'un  cnlte  superstitieux,  et  par  des  traditions  fabuleuses....CAar^t;oivT. 

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JBLISHED  BY  C.    rVILEY  &  CO.  3  WALL  STREEtf. 
C.  S.  Van  Winkle,  Printer. 

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•ea  nAtDvanaii  «Ka^i«««rrwmiB3mKi^>  iroaan^ 

ON  THE 


RELIGION  OF  THE  INDIAN  TRIBES 


OF 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


DELIVERED  BEFORE, 


THE  NEW-YORK  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY, 

DECEMBER  20,  1819. 


BY    SAMUEL    FARMAR   JARVIS,    '  "7  $  &»  ~   '  ^v 


D.  D.   A.  A. 


Jusques  dans  leurs  demarches  IPS  plus  indiffercntes  on  appri\oit  des  traces  de  la 


NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  C.  WILE\   &L  CO.  3  WALL  STREET. 
C.  S.  Van  Winkle,  Printer. 

1820. 


Bancroft 


NEW-YORK  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY, 

DECEMBER  20th,  1819. 

Resolved,  that  the  thanks  of  this  Society  be  presented  to  the 
Rev.  SAMUEL  F.  JARVIS,  D.  D.  for  the  Anniversary  Dis 
course  delivered  by  him  this  day,  and  that  he  be  respectfully 
requested  to  furnish  the  Society  with  a  copy  for  publication. 

Resolved,  that  Doctor  A.  W.  IVES,  G.  C.  VERPLANCK, 
and  M.  C.  PATERS  ON,  Esqrs.  be  a  Committee  to  wait  on 
the  Reverend  Doctor  Jarvis,  with  this  resolution. 

JOHN  PINTARD, 

Recording  Secretary. 


A 

DISCOURSE 

ON 

THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  INDIAN  TRIBES 

OF 

NORTH   AMERICA. 


Mr.  President,  and 

Gentlemen  of  the  Historical  Society, 

IN  surveying  those  portions  of  American  history, 
from  which  I  might  select  a  subject  for  the  present 
occasion,  it  appeared  to  me,  that  the  religion  of  the 
Indian  tribes  of  North  America,  had  not  been  viewed 
with  that  largeness  of  observation,  which  is  the 
characteristic  of  enlightened  philosophy.  Various 
causes  may  be  mentioned,  which  have  hitherto  con 
spired  to  prevent,  or  to  impede,  such  an  examination. 
In  the  first  place,  the  horror,  proceeding  from  the 
cruelties  of  their  warfare,  forbade  the  calmness  of 
investigation.  As  long  as  they  were  formidable, 
curiosity  was  overpowered  by  terror ;  and  there 
was  neither  leisure,  nor  inclination,  to  contemplate 
their  character  as  a  portion  of  the  human  family, 
while  the  glare  of  conflagration  reddened  the  mid- 


6 

night  sky,  and  the  yells  of  the  savage,  mingling  with 
the  shrieks  of  butchered  victims,  rode,  as  portentous 
messengers,  upon  every  gale.  But  that  state  of 
things  has  long  ceased  to  exist.  The  white  men  of 

a  O 

America  have  become  too  numerous,  to  fear  any 
longer  the  effects  of  savage  barbarity ;  and  the  tales, 
which  once  carried  terror  to  the  stoutest  heart,  are 
now  scarcely  heard  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  nur 
sery.  In  the  room  of  fear,  should  now  arise  a  senti 
ment  of  pity.  "  The  red  men  are  melting,"  to  borrow 
the  expressive  metaphor  of  one  of  their  most  celebra 
ted  warriors* — "  like  snow  before  the  sun  ;"  and  we 
should  be  anxious,  before  it  is  too  late,  to  copy  the 
evanescent  features  of  their  character,  and  perpetuate 
them  on  the  page  of  history. 

But  when  fear  ceases,  contempt  is  a  natural  con 
sequence.  The  Indian,  whose  character  was  once 
so  lofty  and  independent,  is  now  seen  begging  at 
our  doors  for  the  price  of  his  perdition  ;  and,  as  our 
foot  spurns  the  suppliant,  we  are  apt  to  think,  that 
nothing,  connected  with  one  so  rile,  can  be  worthy 
of  our  attention.  But  is  it  fair  to  judge  from  so 
vitiated  a  specimen  ?  When  a  race  of  men  are 
mingled  with  others,  who  consider  them  as  inferiors, 
they  inevitably  become  so.  Submission  to  contempt, 
is  an  acknowledgment  of  its  justice.  If,  therefore,  the 

*  The  noted  Miami  Chief  Mishikinaktva,  or  Little  Turtle,  who  contributed 
most  to  the  defeat  of  St.  Clair.  See  Volney's  View  of  the  soil  and  climate  of 
the  United  States.  Supplement,  No.  VI.  Philad.  1804,  p.  385. 


'Indian  would  avoid  degradation,  he  must  retire  from 
the  habitations  of  white  men  ;  and  if  we  wish  to  see 
him  in  his  original  character,  we  must  follow  him  to 
his  native  forests. — There,  surely,  he  is  worthy  of  our 
attention.  The  lovers  of  the  physical  sciences,  ex 
plore  the  woods  of  America,  to  cull  her  plants,  and  to 
investigate  the  habits  of  her  animals.  Shall  not  the 
lovers  of  the  moral  sciences,  be  equally  ardent  and 
industrious  ?  Shall  man,  who  stands  at  the  summit 
of  earthly  creation,  be  forgotten,  amid  the  general 
scrutiny  ? 

The  sources  of  prejudice  which  I  have  mention 
ed,  influence  the  examination  of  every  subject,  con 
nected  with  the  Indian  character  :  there  are  peculiar 
difficulties,  with  regard  to  that  on  which  I  have 
chosen  to  address  you. 

The  Indians  themselves  are  not  communicative  in 
relation  to  their  religion  ;  and  it  requires  a  good  deal 
of  familiar,  attentive,  and  I  may  add,  unsuspected 
observation,  to  obtain  any  knowledge  respecting  it. 
Hence,  many  who  have  been  transiently  resident 
among  them,  have  very  confidently  pronounced,  that 
they  have  no  religion ;  an  assertion,  which  subse 
quent  and  more  accurate  travellers,  have  shown  to 
be  entirely  unfounded.* 

Those,  also,  on  whom  we  rely  for  information, 
have  either  been  too  little  informed  to  know  wha: 
to  observe,  or  they  have  been  influenced  by  peculiar 

*  Se«NoteA. 


8 

modes  of  thinking,  which  have  given  a  tinge  to  all 
they  have  said  on  the  subject. 

The  various  speculations,  for  example,  on  the 
question,  whence  America  was  peopled,  led  to  many 
misrepresentations  of  the  religious  rites  of  its  inhabi 
tants  ;  and  affinities  were  discovered  which  existed 
no  where  but  in  the  fancy  of  the  inventor.  Gomara, 
Lerius,  and  Lescarbot,  inferred  from  some  resem 
blances  of  this  kind,  that  America  was  peopled  by 
the  Canaanites  when  they  were  expelled  by  Joshua ; 
and  the  celebrated  Grotius,  adopting  the  sentiment 
of  Martyr,  imagined  that  Yucatan  was  first  peopled 
by  Ethiopians,  and  that  those  Ethiopians  were 
Christians  !* 

The  human  mind  derives  pleasure  from  paradox, 
for  the  same  reason  that  it  delights  in  wit.  Both 
produce  new  and  surprising  combinations  of  thought ; 
and  the  judgment,  being  overpowered  by  the  fervours 
of  imagination,  becomes  for  a  time  insensible  to  their 


extravagance. 


It  is  well  known,  that,  among  the  philosophers  of 
Europe,  the  opinion  has  very  generally  prevailed, 
that  the  natives  of  America  were,  both  as  to  physi 
cal  and  mental  powers,  a  feeble  race;  and,  impress 
ed  with  this  belief,  they  hardly  considered  the  reli 
gion  of  the  Indians  as  worthy  of  minute  attention. 
The  celebrated  historian  of  America,  has  uncon 
sciously  fallen  into  this  error,  at  the  very  moment  in 


See  Note  B. 


which  he  was  censuring  others,  for  suffering  their  re 
lation  of  facts  to  be  perverted,  by  an  attachment  to 
preconceived  theories.* 

Volney,  in  opposition  to  the  sentiments  of  Rousseau, 
has  endeavoured  to  sink  the  character  of  the  savage, 
in  the  same  proportion  as  that  eccentric  author  sought 
to  raise  it.  On  the  subject  of  the  Indian  religion 
especially,  no  one  should  be  read  with  greater  cau 
tion.  He  who  could  imagine  that  Christianity  was 
only  an  astronomical  allegory,  and  that  the  birth  of 
our  Saviour  meant  no  more  than  that  the  sun  had 
entered  the  constellation  Virgo,  can  hardly  be  con 
sidered  as  perfectly  sane,  even  when  he  treats  on  the 
religion  of  Heathens,  f  We  need  not  be  surprised, 
therefore,  at  the  assertion,  that  the  Indians  have  no 
regular  system  of  religion  ;  that  each  one  employs 
the  liberty  allowed  him  of  making  a  religion  for 
himself;  and  that  all  the  worship  they  know  is  of 
fered  to  the  authors  of  evil.t  Never  was  there  an 

*  See  Robertson's  America,  book  iv.  §.  vii. 

t  See  Les  Ruines,  ou  Meditations  sur  les  Revolutions  des  Empires,  par 
M.  Volney.  Nouvelle  edition,  corrigee?  Paris,  1792,  8vo.  chap.  22.  p.  185. 
221-4.  In  this  work,  Volney  had  the  hardihood  to  maintain,  not  only  that 
our  Saviour  was  an  allegorical  personage,  but  that  all  religions,  Heathen, 
Mahometan,  and  Jewish,  as  well  as  Christian,  are  in  substance  the  same  ; 
that  all  have  arisen  from  a  literal  interpretation  of  the  figurative  language  of 
astronomers  ;  and  that  the  very  idea  of  a  God,  sprung  from  a  personification 
of  the  elements,  and  of  the  physical  powers  of  the  universe.  At  the  sight  of 
this  monstrous  creation  of  a  disordered  fancy,  one  cannot  help  exclaiming 
with  Stillingfleet,  "  Oh  what  will  not  Atheists  believe,  rather  than  a  Deify 
and  Providence." 

£  Volney's  View  of  the  United  States,  ut  supr.  trans,  by  Brown,  p.  4J<3. 


10 

assertion  more  unfounded  ;  but  it  enabled  him  to 
quote  that  maxim  of  the  Epicurean  poet,  which  is 
so  frequently  in  the  mouths  of  unbelievers,  that  all 
religion  originated  in  fear  : 

Primes  in  orbe  Deos  fecit  timor. 

On  the  other  hand,  an  hypothesis  has  somewhat 
extensively  prevailed,  which  exalts  the  religion  of 
the  Indians  as  much  above  its  proper  level,  as  Vol- 
ney  has  debased  it  below ;  I  mean  that,  which  sup 
poses  them  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  ten  tribes  of 
Israel.  This  theory  so  possessed  the  mind  of  Adair, 
that,  although  he  had  the  greatest  opportunities  of 
obtaining  knowledge,  his  book  is,  comparatively,  of 
little  use.  We  are  constantly  led  to  suspect  the 
fidelity  of  his  statements,  because  his  judgment  had 
lost  its  equipoise,  and  he  saw  every  thing  through  a 
discoloured  medium.  I  feel  myself  bound  to  notice 
this  hypothesis  the  more,  because  it  has  lately  been 
revived  and  brought  before  the  public,  by  a  venera 
ble  member  of  this  society,  whose  exalted  character 
renders  every  opinion  he  may  defend  a  subject  of  re 
spectful  attention.* 

To  the  mind  of  every  religious  man,  the  history  of 
the  Hebrews  is  a  subject  of  peculiar  interest ;  and  it 
is  impossible  to  read  of  the  extermination  of  the 

*  See  Dr.  Boudinot's  Star  in  the  West,  or  a  humble  attempt  to  discover 
the  long-lost  ten  tribes  of  Israel,  preparatory  to  their  return  to  their  beloved 
city  Jerusalem.  Trenton,  (N.  J.)  1816.  8vo. 


11 

kingdom  of  Israel,  without  a  feeling  of  compassion 
for  the  captives,  who  were  thus  torn  from  the  land 
of  their  prerogative.  The  impenetrable  darkness 
which  hangs  over  their  subsequent  history,  combines 
with  this  sentiment  of  pity,  the  powerful  excitement 
of  curiosity.  It  is  not,  then,  to  be  wondered  at,  that 
when  the  disquisitions  arose  respecting  the  peopling 
of  America,  the  idea  of  tracing  to  these  western 
shores  the  long-lost  tribes  of  Israel,  should  also  have 
arisen  before  the  eye  of  imagination  with  captivating 
splendour  ;  that  the  thought  should  have  been  seized 
with  avidity  by  men  who  were  pious,  and  ardent, 
and  contemplative ;  and  that,  in  the  establishment 
of  a  theory  which  every  one  could  wish  to  be  true, 
facts  should  be  strained  from  their  natural  bent,  and 
resemblances  imagined,  which  have  no  existence  in 
reality. 

The  most  unequivocal  method  of  tracing  the  origin 
of  the  aborigines  of  America,  as  Charlevoix  has 
sensibly  remarked,  is  to  ascertain  the  character  of 
their  languages,  and  to  compare  them  with  the  pri 
mitive  languages  of  the  eastern  hemisphere.* 

But  this  test  will,  I  conceive,  be  found  very  fatal 
to  the  theory  in  question.  The  best  informed  wri 
ters  agree,  that  there  are,  exclusive  of  the  Karalit  or 
Esquimaux,  three  radical  languages  spoken  by  the 

*  Charlevoix's  Dissertation  sur  1'origine  des  Ameriquains,  prefixed  to  his 
Journal  d'un  voyage  dans  1'Amer.  Septent.— Hist,  de  la  nouvelle  France, 
torn.  iii.  p.  36. 


12 

Indians  of  North  America.*  Mr.  Heckewelder  de 
nominates  them  the  Iroquois,  the  Lenape,  and  the 
Floridian.  The  Iroquois  is  spoken  by  the  six  na 
tions,  the  Wjandots  or  Hurons,  the  Naudowessies, 
the  Assiniboils,  and  other  tribes  beyond  the  St.  Law 
rence.  The  Lenape,  which  is  the  most  widely  ex 
tended  language  on  this  side  of  the  Mississippi,  was 
spoken  by  the  tribes,  now  extinct,  who  formerly  in 
habited  Nova-Scotia  and  the  present  state  of  Maine, 
the  Abenakis,  Micmacs,  Canibas,  Openangos,  Soc- 
cokis,  Etchemins,  and  Souriquois :  dialects  of  it 
are  now  spoken  by  the  Miamis,  the  Potawotamies, 
Missisaugoes,  and  Kickapoos ;  the  Conestogos,  Nan- 
ticokes,  Shawanese,  and  Mohicans  ;  the  Algonquins, 
Knisteneaux,  and  Chippeways.  The  Floridian  in 
cludes  the  languages  of  the  Creeks  or  Muskohgees, 
Chickesaws,  Choctaws,  Pascagoulas,  Cherokees, 
Seminoles,  and  several  others  in  the  Southern  states 
and  Florida.f  These  three  languages  are  primitive, 
that  is  to  say,  are  so  distinct  as  to  have  no  perceiva 
ble  affinity.  All,  therefore,  cannot  be  derived  from 
the  Hebrew  ;  for  it  is  a  contradiction  in  terms,  to 
speak  of  three  languages  radically  different,  as  de- 

*  See  Note  C. 

t  Transactions  of  the  Historical  and  Literary  Committee  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  held  at  Philadelphia  for  promoting  useful  knowledge. 
Vol.i.  Philad.  1819,  Svo.  No.  I.  An  account  of  the  history,  manners,  and 
customs,  of  the  Indian  nations  who  once  inhabited  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
neighbouring  states.  By  the  Rev.  John  Heckewelder,  of  Bethlehem.  Chap, 
ix.  p.  104. 


IS 


rived  from  a  common  source.*  Which  then,  we 
may  well  ask,  is  to  be  selected  as  the  posterity  of  the 
Israelites :  the  Iroquois,  the  Lenape,  or  the  southern 
Indians  ? 

Besides,  there  is  one  striking  peculiarity  in  the 
construction  of  American  languages,  which  has  no 
counterpart  in  the  Hebrew.  Instead  of  the  ordinary 
division  of  genders,  they  divide  into  the  animate  and 
inanimate.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  that  any 
nation,  in  whatever  circumstances  they  might  be 
placed,  could  depart,  in  so  remarkable  a  manner, 
from  the  idioms  of  their  native  language.f 

But  supposing  that  there  were  some  affinity  in 
any  one  of  the  languages  of  North  America  to  the 
Hebrew,  still  it  would  not  prove  that  the  persons 
who  speak  it  are  of  Hebrew  descent.  The  Arabic 
and  the  Amharic  have  very  strong  affinities  with  the 
Hebrew  :  but  does  it  thence  follow  that  the  Arabs 
and  Abyssinians  are  Hebrews  ?  Admitting,  there 
fore,  the  fact  of  this  affinity,  in  its  fullest  extent,  the 
only  legitimate  inference  would  be,  that  the  langua 
ges  of  America  are  of  oriental  derivation,  and,  con 
sequently,  that  America  was  peopled  from  Asia. 

To  pursue  this  subject  further,  would  occupy  too 
much  time  upon  a  point  which  is  merely  subsidiary.! 
But  I  cannot  forbear  remarking,  that,  while  the  na 
tion  of  Israel  has  been  wonderfully  preserved,  the 

*  S§«  Note  B.  t  Se*  Nete  E,  i  Set  Note  F. 


14 

Indians  arc  nearly  exterminated.  The  nation  of 
Israel  will  hereafter  be  restored  to  the  land  of  their 
forefathers ;  but  this  event  must  speedily  arrive,  or 
the  unhappy  tribes  of  America  can  have  no  part  in 
it.  A  few  years  more,  and  they  will  be  beyond  the 
capability  of  migration  ! 

The  question,  then,  with  regard  to  the  immediate 
origin  of  the  American  Indians,  must  remain  in  the 
uncertainty  which  hangs  over  it.  Nothing  but  a 
more  extensive  knowledge  of  the  languages  of  this 
continent,  of  those  of  Northern  Asia,  and  of  the 
Islands  in  the  Southern  Pacific,  can  throw  any  ad 
ditional  light  upon  a  problem,  which  has  so  long 
exercised,  and  so  completely  exhausted,  the  inge 
nuity  of  conjecture.  Their  religion  furnishes  no 
assistance  in  the  solution,  for  it  cannot  be  identified 
with  that  of  any  particular  nation,  in  any  other  por 
tion  of  the  globe  ;  and  though  resemblances,  and 
those  very  strong  and  striking,  can  be  traced,  yet 
they  are  such  as  are  common  to  the  great  family  of 
man,  and  prove  nothing  but  that  all  have  one  com 
mon  origin. 

It  will  be  readily  seen,  however,  that  this  proof  is 
of  vast  importance.  If  the  religion  of  the  Indians 
exhibits  traces  of  that  primeval  religion  which  was 
of  divine  appointment ;  if  the  debasement  of  it  was 
owing,  as  among  all  other  nations,  to  the  concurrent 
operation  of  human  ignorance,  weakness,  and  cor 
ruption  ;  and  if  its  rites,  and  even  its  superstitious 


15 

observances,  bear  that  analogy  to  those  of  the  old 
world,  which  must  exist  where  all  have  flowed  from 
one  source  :  then  all  that  is  really  useful  in  the  ques 
tion  respecting  the  origin  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
continent  will  be  fully  obtained.  There  will  be  no 
anomaly  in  the  history  of  human  nature  ;  and  the 
assertion  of  Voltaire  will  be  found  to  be  as  false  as 
it  is  flippant,  that  the  Americans  are  a  race  entirely 
different  from  other  men,  and  that  they  have  sprung 
into  existence  like  plants  and  insects.* 

*  "  II  n'est  permis  qu'a  un  aveugle  de  douter  que  les  Blancs,  les  Negres, 
les  Albinos,  les  Hottentots,  les  Lapons,  les  Chinois,  les  Americains  soient 
des  races  entierement  differentes."  Voltaire  (Euvres,  vol.  16.  p.  8. 

"  Au  reste  si  Ton  demande  d'ou  sont  venus  les  Americains,  il  faut  aussi 
demander  d'ou  sont  venus  les  habitants  des  terres  Australes  ;  et  Ton  a  deja 
repondu  que  la  providence  qui  a  mis  des  homines  dans  le  Norvege,  en  a 
plante  aussi  en  Am6rique  et  sous  le  cercle  polaire  meridional,  comme  elle  y 
a  plante  des  arbres  et  fait  croitre  de  1'herbe."  Ibid,  p.  10. 

"  Se  peut-il  qu'on  demande  encore  d'ou  sont  venus  les  hommes  qui  ont 
peuple  I'Amerique  ?  On  doit  assurement  faire  la  meme  question  sur  les  na 
tions  des  Terres  Australes.  Elles  sont  beaucoup  plus  eloign6es  du  port  dont 
partit  Christophe  Colomb,  que  ne  le  sont  les  iles  Antilles.  Onatrouvedes 
hommes  et  des  animaux  partout  ou  la  terre  est  habitable  ;  qui  les  y  a  mis  ? 
On  a  deja  ditj  C'est  celui  qui  fait  croitre  1'herbe  des  champs  :  et  on  ne  de- 
vait  pas  etre  plus  surpris  de  trouver  en  Amerique  des  hommes  que  des 
mouches."  Ib.  p.  37. 

How  much  pains  did  this  extraordinary  man  take  to  degrade  that  nature  of 
which  he  was  at  once  the  ornament  and  the  shame  !  No  one  can  read  the 
writings  of  Voltaire,  without  a  feeling  of  admiration  at  the  wonderful  versa 
tility  of  his  talents.  No  one  can  help  being  amused,  and  having  his  mind 
drawn  along,  by  the  powers  of  his  excursive  fancy.  But  with  all  this,  there  is, 
to  every  serious  and  sensitive  mind,  a  feeling  of  disgust  and  shrinking  ab 
horrence.  By  associating  ludicrous  images  with  subjects  which  have  been 
hallowed  by  the  veneration  of  ages,  he  has  the  address  to  impart  to  them 
that  ridicule  which  properly  belongs  only  to  the  company  in  which  he  has 


16 

Previous  to  the  dispersion  of  the  descendants  of 
Noah,  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  of  the  wor 
ship  which  he  required  from  his  creatures,  and  of 
the  sanctions  with  which  he  enforced  his  commands, 
must  have  been  common  to  all.  It  is  impossible  to 
conceive  of  any  distinction  where  all  were  equally 
related  to  him,  and  possessed  equal  means  of  instruc 
tion  and  knowledge.  In  a  word,  the  whole  of  man 
kind  formed  one  universal  church,  having  the  same 
faith  and  the  same  worship. 

How  long  this  purity  continued  we  know  not, 
nor  when,  nor  where,  idolatry  was  first  introduced. 
That  it  began,  however,  at  a  very  early  period,  we 
have  the  strongest  evidence  ;  for  Terah,  the  father 
of  Abraham,  was  an  idolater,  notwithstanding  the 
precepts  and  example  of  Noah,  both  of  which,  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years,  he  personally  enjoyed. 
We  may  account  for  it  from  that  tendency  in  our 
nature  which  seeks  to  contract  every  thing  within 
the  compass  of  our  understanding,  and  to  subject  it, 
if  possible,  to  the  scrutiny  of  our  senses.  A  Being 
purely  spiritual,  omniscient  and  omnipotent,  is  above 
our  comprehension,  and  we  seek,  by  the  multiplica 
tion  of  subordinate  deities,  to  account  for  the  opera- 
placed  them.  Hence,  his  writings  have  done  more  injury  to  truth,  and  to 
human  happiness,  than  those  of  any  other  modern — perhaps  I  may  add, 
of  any  other  being.  The  thoughtless  and  the  timid  have  been  frightened 
out  of  their  good  principles  by  this  caustic  sarcasm,  while  to  the  rashly 
bold  and  ignorantly  daring,  the  eyes  of  the  judgment  have  been  blinded  by 
the  coruscations  of  his  wit. 


17 

tions  of  his  power.  When  this  is  done,  the  imagina 
tion  feels  itself  at  liberty  to  clothe  them  with  corpo 
real  forms :  and  from  this  idea,  the  transition  is  not 
difficult,  to  the  formation  of  idols,  and  the  introduc 
tion  of  idolatry. 

But  notwithstanding  this  departure  from  primeval 
purity,  the  religion  of  mankind  did  not  at  once  lose 
all  its  original  brightness.  It  was  still  the  form  of 
the  archangel  ruined.  It  did  not  reject  the  worship 
of  the  true  God,  but  seems  only  to  have  absurdly 
combined  with  it  the  worship  of  inferior  divinities. 

When  Abraham  sojourned  at  Gerar,  the  king  of  that 
country  had  evidently  communications  with  the  Al 
mighty  ;  and  the  testimony  which  God  gave  of  the 
integrity  of  his  character,  and  his  submission  to  the 
divine  admonition,  clearly  prove  that  he  was  a  true 
believer.* 

At  a  subsequent  period,  when  Isaac  lived 
in  the  same  country,  the  king,  a  descendant  of 
the  former  monarch,  requested  that  a  covenant  of 
friendship  should  be  made  between  them,  because, 
as  he  observed,  Isaac  was  the  blessed  of  Jehovah.f 
"  This,"  as  Bishop  Horsley  remarks,  "  is  the  lan 
guage  of  one  who  feared  Jehovah,  and  acknowledged 
his  providence."! 

When  Joseph  was  brought  before  the  King  of 

*  Gen.  xx.  3,  4, 5, 6.    See  also  xxi.  22,  23.  t  Gen.  xxri.  28,  29. 

t  Horsley's  Dissertation  on  the  Prophecies  of  the  Messiah,  dispersed 
among  the  Heathen,  prefixed  to  Nine  Serm.  p.  41.  New-York,  1816.  8vo, 

3 


18 

Egypt,  both  speak  of  God  as  if  they  had  the  same 
faith,  and  the  same  trust  in  his  overruling  provi 
dence.* 

Even  at  so  late  a  period  as  when  the  Israelites 
entered  Canaan,  the  spies  of  Joshua  found  a  woman 
of  Jericho,  who  confessed  that  u  Jehovah,  the  God 
of  Israel,  he  is  God  in  Heaven  above,  and  in  the  earth 

beneath."! 

The  book  of  Job  presents  an  interesting  view  of 
the  patriarchal  religion  as  it  existed  in  Arabia ;  and, 
it  will  be  remembered  that,  in  Mesopotamia,  Balaam 
was  a  prophet  of  the  Most  High. 

These  instances  are  sufficient  to  show  how  exten 
sively  the  worship  of  the  true  God  prevailed,  and 
that  it  had  not  become  extinct  even  when  the  chil 
dren  of  Israel  took  possession  of  the  land  of  promise, 
and  became  the  peculiar  people  of  Jehovah.  That 
it  was  blended,  however,  with  the  worship  of  infe 
rior  divinities,  represented  in  idolatrous  forms,  is 
equally  apparent  from  the  sacred  history. 

When  the  servant  of  Abraham  had  disclosed  to 
the  family  of  Nahor  the  purpose  of  his  mission, 
both  Laban  and  Bethuel  replied  :  "  The  thing  pro- 
ceedeth  from  Jehovah  ;  we  cannot  speak  unto  thee 
bad  or  good."t  This  reply  was  an  evidence  of  their 
faith  in  the  true  God ;  yet  it  afterwards  appears  that 
the  same  Laban  had  images  which  he  called  his 
Gods,  and  which  were  regarded  with  veneration,  and 

*  Gen.  xli.  25.  32.  38,  39.  t  Josh.  ii.  v.  11.          t  «en.  xxiv.  50. 


19 

greatly  valued  by  himself  and  his  children.*  Upon 
the  occasion  of  Jacob's  departure  to  Bethel,  he  com 
manded  his  household  to  "  put  away  the  strange 
Gods  that  were  among  them."  These  Gods  must 
have  been  numerous  ;  for  it  is  mentioned  that  "  they 
gave  unto  Jacob  all  the  strange  Gods  which  were 
in  their  hand,  and  he  hid  them  under  the  oak  by 
Shechem.f  Even  the  chosen  family,  therefore,  was 
not  exempt  from  the  infection  of  idolatry. 

But  this  was  idolatry  in  its  milder  form.  The 
progress  of  corruption  among  mankind  soon  intro 
duced  a  grosser  and  more  malignant  species.  The 
worship  of  the  invisible  Creator  was  at  length  for 
gotten  ;  His  seat  was  usurped  by  fictitious  deities ; 
and  a  general  apostacy  prevailed. 

Quis  nescit qualia  demens 

.SSgyptus  portenta  colat  ? 

Porrum  et  ccepe  nefas  violare,  ant  frangere  morsu. 

O  sanctas  gentes,  quibus  haec  nascunlur  in  hortis 

Numina  !  JUVENAL.  SAT.  xv.j 

Then  it  was  that  the  Almighty  was  pleased  to  give  the 
nations  over  "  to  a  reprobate  mind,"^  and  to  select 

*  Gen.  xxxi.  19.  30.  32.  34,  35.  t  Gen.  xxxv.  2.  4. 

t  Who  knows  not  to  what  monstrous  Gods,  my  friend, 

The  mad  inhabitants  of  Egypt  bend  ? 

'Xis  dangerous  here 

To  violate  an  onion,  or  to  stain 

The  sanctity  of  leeks,  with  tooth  profane. 

O  holy  nations  !  Sacro-sanct  abodes  ! 

Where  every  garden  propagates  its  gods  ! — GIFFORD. 
§  Rom.  i.  28. 


20 

a  peculiar  people,  to  be  a  signal  example  of  his  pro 
vidence,  the  witness  of  his  wonders,  and  the  guar 
dian  of  that  revelation  with  which  he  sought  to 
check  the  waywardness  of  human  corruption. 

I.  Having  thus  seen  that  all  false  religions  are,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  departures  trom  the  true  ;  that 
there  is  a  tendency  in  the  human  mind,  to  form  low 
and  limited  views  of  the  Supreme  Being;  and  that, 
in  fat^t,  all  nations  have  fallen  into  the  corruptions  of 
polytheism  and  idolatry ;  we  should  conclude,  even 
in  reasoning  a  priori,  that  the  religion  of  the  Indians 
would  be  found  to  partake  of  the  general  character. 
Accordingly,  the  fact  is  amply  attested,  that  while 
they  acknowledge  One  Supreme  Being,  whom  they 
denominate  the  Great  Spirit,  or  the  Master  of  Life, 
they  also  believe  in  Subordinate  Divinities,  who  have 
the  chief  regulation  of  the  affairs  of  men. 

Charlevoix,  who  had  all  the  opportunities  of  ob 
taining  information  which  personal  observation,  and 
the  united  testimony  of  the  French  missionaries 
could  give,  is  an  unexceptionable  witness  with  re 
gard  to  the  Hurons,  the  Iroquois,  and  the  Algon- 
quins.  Nothing,  says  he,  is  more  certain,  though 
at  the  same  time  obscure,  than  the  conception  which 
the  American  savages  have  of  a  Supreme  Being. 
All  agree  that  he  is  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that  he  is 
the  master,  creator,  and  governor  of  the  world.* 

*  Charlevoix,  Journal,  fcc.  let.  xxiv.  p.  343. 


The  Hurons  call  him  Areskoui ;  the  Iroquois,  by  a 
slight  variation,  Agreskoue.  He  is,  with  them,  the 
God  of  war.  His  name  they  invoke  as  they  march. 
It  is  the  signal  to  engage,  and  it  is  the  war-cry  in  the 
hottest  of  the  battle.* 

But,  beside  the  Supreme  Being,  they  believe  in 
an  infinite  number  of  subaltern  spirits,  who  are  the 
objects  of  worship.  These  they  divide  into  good 
and  bad.  The  good  spirits  are  called,  by  the  Hu 
rons,  Okkis,  by  the  Algonquins,  Manilous.  They 
suppose  them  to  be  the  guardians  of  men,  and  that 
each  has  his  own  tutelary  deity  .f  In  fact,  every  thing 
in  nature  has  its  spirit,  though  all  have  not  the  same 
rank  nor  the  same  influence.  The  animals  they 
hunt  have  their  spirits.  If  they  do  not  understand 

*  Charlevoix,  Journal,  &,c.  let.  xxiv.  p.  344.  "  II  paroit  que  dans 
ces  chansons  (de  guerre)  on  invoque  le  Dieu  de  la  guerre,  que  les  Hurons 
appellent  Areskoui,  et  les  Iroquois  dgreskout.  Je  ne  sgai  pas  quel  nom  on 
lui  donne  dans  les  langues  Algonquines,  Mais  n'est  il  pas  un  peu  etonnant 
que  dans  le  mot  Grec  A/)»?,  qui  est  le  Mars,  et  le  Dieu  de  la  guerre  dans  tous 
les  pays,  ou  Ton  a  suivi  la  Theologie  d'Homere,  on  trouvela  racine  d'ou 
semblent  deriver  plusieurs  tenues  de  la  langue  Huronne  et  Iroquoise,  qui  ont 
rapport  a  la  guerre  ?  rfregouen  signifie,  faire  la  guerre,  et  se  conjugue  ainsi : 
Garego,  je  fais  la  guerre  ;  Sarego,  tu  fais  la  guerre  ;  rfrego,  il  fait  la  guerre. 
Au  reste,  Areskoui  n'est  pas  seulemerit  le  Mars  de  ces  peuples ;  il  est  encore  le 
Souverain  des  Dieux,ou,  comme  ils  s'expriment,  le  Grand  Esprit,  le  Createur 
et  le  Maitre  du  Monde,  le  Genie  qui  gouverne  tout :  niais  c'est  principale- 
ment  pour  les  expeditions  militaires,  qu'on  1'invoque,  comrne  si  la  qualite, 
qui  lui  fait  le  plus  d'honneur  etoit  celle  de  Dieu  des  armees.  Son  nom  est  le. 
cri  de  guerre  avant  le  combat,  et  au  fort  de  la  mel6e  :  dam  les  marches  m&me 
on  le  repete  souvent,  comme  pour  s'encowager,  et  pour  implorer  son  assistance." 
Ibid,  p.  208. 

t  See  Note  G. 


22 

any  thing,  they  immediately  say,  It  is  a  spirit.  If 
any  man  performs  a  remarkable  exploit,  or  exhibits 
extraordinary  talents,  he  is  said  to  be  a  spirit,  or,  in 
other  words,  his  tutelary  deity  is  supposed  to  be  of 
more  than  ordinary  power.* 

It  is  remarkable,  however,  that  these  tutelary 
deities  are  not  supposed  to  take  men  under  their  pro 
tection  till  something  has  been  done  to  merit  the 
favour.  A  parent  who  wishes  to  obtain  a  guardian 
spirit  for  his  child,  first  blackens  his  face,  and  then 
causes  him  to  fast  for  several  days.f  During  this 
time  it  is  expected  that  the  spirit  will  reveal  himself 
in  a  dream  ;  and  on  this  account,  the  child  is 
anxiously  examined  every  morning  with  regard  to 
the  visions  of  the  preceding  night.  Whatever  the 
child  happens  to  dream  of  the  most  frequently,  even 
if  it  happen  to  be  the  head  of  a  bird,  the  foot  of  an 
animal,  or  any  thing  of  the  most  worthless  nature, 
becomes  the  symbol  or  figure  under  which  the  Okki 
reveals  himself.  With  this  figure,  in  the  concep 
tions  of  his  votary,  the  spirit  becomes  identified  ; 
the  image  is  preserved  with  the  greatest  care — is  the 
constant  companion  on  all  great  and  important  occa 
sions,  and  the  constant  object  of  consultation  and 
worship.! 

As  soon  as  a  child  is  informed  what  is  the  nature 

*  Charlevoix,  Journal,  &,c.  let.  xxiv.  p.  345-6.     [See  Note  H.] 

t  See  Note  I. 

\  Charlevoix,  ut  supr.  p.  346. 


28 

or  form  of  his  protecting  deity,  he  is  carefully  in 
structed  in  the  obligations  he  is  under  to  do  him 
homage — to  follow  his  advice  communicated  in 
dreams — to  deserve  his  favours — to  confide  implicitly 
in  his  care — and  to  dread  the  consequences  of  his 
displeasure.  For  this  reason,  when  the  Huron  or 
the  Iroquois  goes  to  battle  or  to  the  chase,  the  image 
of  his  okki  is  as  carefully  carried  with  him  as  his 
arms.*  At  night,  each  one  places  his  guardian  idol 
on  the  palisades  surrounding  the  camp,  wi'h  the 
face  turned  from  the  quarter  to  which  the  warriors, 
or  hunters,  are  about  to  march.  He  then  prays  to  it 
for  an  hour,  as  he  does  also  in  the  morning  before  he 
continues  his  course.  This  homage  performed,  he 
lies  down  to  rest,  and  sleeps  in  tranquillity,  fully 
persuaded  that  his  spirit  will  assume  the  whole  duty 
of  keeping  guard,  and  that  he  has  nothing  to  fear.f 


*  See  Note  K. 

t  "  Mais  ce  que  Ton  oublieroit  encore  moins  que  les  armes,  et  ce  que  1'oh 
conserve  avec  le  plus  grand  soin  dont  les  sauvages  sont  capables,  ce  sontles 
Manitous.  J'en  parlerai  ailleurs  plus  amplement :  il  suffit  ici  de  dire  que  ce 
sont  les  symboles,  sous  lesquels  chacun  se  represente  son  esprit  familier.  On 
les  raettous  dans  un  sac  fait  de  Jones,  et  peintde  differentes  couleurs;  et  sou- 
vent,  pour  faire  honneur  au  chef,  on  place  ce  sac  sur  le  devant  de  son  canot. 
S'il  y  a  trop  de  Manitous  pour  tenir  dans  un  seul  sac,  on  les  distribue  dans 
plusieurs,  qui  sont  confies  k  la  garde  du  lieutenant  et  des  anciens  de  chaque 
famille.  Alors  on  y  joint  les  presens,  qui  ont  ete  fails  pour  avoir  des  prison- 
niers,  avec  les  langues  de  tons  les  animaux,  qu'on  a  tuts  pendant  la  campagne> 
et  dont  on  doit  faire  au  retour  un  sacrifice  aux  esprits."  Charlevoix,  Journal, 
p.  223. 

"  On  campe  lontems  avant  le  soleil  couche,  et  pour  1'ordinaire  on  laisse 
devant  le  camp  un  grand  espace  environn6  d'une  palissade,  ou  plutdt  d'une 


24 

With  this  account  of  Charlevoix,  the  relations 
which  the  Moravian  missionaries  give,  not  only  of 
the  Iroquois,  but  also  of  the  Lenapes,  or  Delavvares, 
and  the  numerous  tribes  derived  from  them,  per 
fectly  accord.  u  The  prevailing  opinion  of  all  these 
nations  is,"  says  Loskiel,  "  that  there  is  one  God, 
or,  as  they  call  him,  one  great  and  good  Spirit,  who 
has  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  made 
man  and  every  other  creature."  But  "  beside  the 
Supreme  Being,  they  believe  in  good  and  evil  spirits, 
considering  them  as  subordinate  deities."  "  Our 
missionaries  have  not  found  rank  polytheism,  or 
gross  idolatry,  to  exist  among  the  Indians.  They 
have,  however,  something  which  may  be  called  an 
idol.*  This  is  the  Manitto,  representing,  in  wood, 
the  head  of  a  man  in  miniature,  which  they  always 
carry  about  them,  either  on  a  string  round  their 
neck,  or  in  a  bag.  They  hang  it  also  about  their 
children,  to  preserve  them  from  illness,  and  ensure 
to  them  success.  When  they  perform  a  solemn 
sacrifice,  a  manitto,  or  a  head  as  large  as  life,  is  put 
upon  a  pole  in  the  middle  of  the  house.  But  they 
understand  by  the  word  manitto,  every  being  to 
which  an  offering  is  made,  especially  all  good 

espece  de  treillis,  sur  lequel  on  place  les  Manitous  tournes  du  c6te,  ou  Ton 
veut  aller.  On  les  y  invoque  pendant  une  heure,  et  on  en  fait  autant  tons  les 
matins,  avant  que  de  d6camper.  Apres  cela  on  croit  n'avoir  rien  a  craindre,  on 
suppose  que  les  csprits  se  chargcnt  de  faire  seuls  la  sentinelle,  et  toute  Tarmet 
tiort  tranquillement  sous  leur  sauve-garde."  Ibid,  p.  236. 
*  See  Note  L. 


25 

spirits.  They  also  look  upon  the  elements,  almost 
all  animals,  and  even  some  plants,  as  spirits,  one 
exceeding  the  other  in  dignity  and  power.  The 
manittoes  are  also  considered  as  tutelar  spirits. 
Every  Indian  has  one  or  more,  which  he  conceives 
to  be  peculiarly  given  to  assist  him  and  make  him 
prosper.  One  has,  in  a  dream,  received  the  sun  as 
his  tutelar  spirit,  another  the  moon  ;  a  third,  an  owl ; 
a  fourth,  a  buffalo.  An  Indian  is  dispirited,  and 
considers  himself  as  forsaken  by  God,  till  he  has  re 
ceived  a  tutelar  spirit  in  a  dream  ;  but  those  who 
have  been  thus  favoured,  are  full  of  courage,  and 
proud  of  their  powerful  ally.* 

This  account  is  corroborated  by  Heckewelder  in 
his  late  interesting  history  of  the  Indian  nations. 

"  It  is  a  part  of  their  religious  belief,"  says  he, 
"  that  there  are  inferior  munittos,  to  whom  the 
great  and  good  Being  has  given  the  rule  and  com 
mand  over  the  elements ;  that  being  so  great,  he, 
like  their  chiefs,  must  have  his  attendants  to  exe 
cute  his  supreme  behests  ;  these  subordinate  spirits 
(something  in  their  nature  between  God  and  manj 
see  and  report  to  him  wrhat  is  doing  upon  earth  ; 
they  look  down  particularly  upon  the  Indians,  to 
see  whether  they  are  in  need  of  assistance,  and  are 
ready  at  their  call  to  assist  and  protect  them  against 
danger.  Thus  I  have  frequently  witnessed  Indians, 


*  Loskiel,  parti,  chap.iii.  p.  34,  35. 39, 40.  Loud.  1794. 

4 


26 

on  the  approach  of  a  storm  or  thunder  gust,  address 
the  manitto  of  the  air  to  avert  all  danger  from  them  : 
I  have  also  seen  the  Chippeways,  on  the  lakes  of 
Canada,  pray  to  the  manitto  of  the  waters,  that  he 
might  prevent  the  swells  from  rising  too  high,  while 
they  were  passing  over  them.  In  both  these  instan 
ces,  they  expressed  their  acknowledgment,  or 
showed  their  willingness  to  be  grateful,  by  throwing 
tobacco  in  the  air,  or  strewing  it  on  the  waters."* — 
"  But  amidst  all  these  superstitious  notions,  the  Su 
preme  Manitto,  the  creator  and  preserver  of  heaven 
and  earth,  is  the  great  object  of  their  adoration.  On 
him  they  rest  their  hopes — to  him  they  address  their 
prayers,  and  make  their  solemn  sacrifices."! 

The  Knistineaux  Indians,  who  inhabit  the  country 
extending  from  Labrador,  across  the  continent,  to 
the  Highlands  which  divide  the  waters  on  Lake 
Superior  from  those  of  Hudson's  Bay,  appear,  from 
Mackenzie's  account,  to  have  the  same  system,  of 
one  great  Supreme,  and  innumerable  subordinate 
deities.  "  The  Great  Master  of  Life,"  to  use  their 
own  expression,  uis  the  sacred  object  of  their  devo 
tion.  But  each  man  carries  in  his  medicine  bag  a 
kind  of  household  God,  which  is  a  small  carved 
image  about  eight  inches  long.  Its  first  covering  is 
of  down,  over  which  a  piece  of  beech  bark  is  closely 
tied,  and  the  whole  is  enveloped  in  several  folds  of 

*  See  Note  M.  I  Heckewelder,  p.  205.  6 


27 

red  and  blue  cloth.  This  little  figure  is  an  object  of 
the  most  pious  regard."* 

It  is  remarkable,  that  the  description  given  by 
Peter  Martyr,  who  was  the  companion  of  Columbus, 
of  the  worship  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cuba,  perfectly 
agrees  with  this  account  of  the  Northern  Indians  by 
Mackenzie.  They  believed  in  the  existence  of  one 
supreme,  invisible,  immortal,  and  omnipotent  crea 
tor,  whom  they  named  Jocahuna,  but  at  the  same 
time  acknowledged  a  plurality  of  subordinate  deities. 
They  had  little  images  called  Zemes,  whom  they 
looked  upon  as  only  a  kind  of  messengers  between 
them  and  the  eternal,  omnipotent,  and  invisible  God. 
These  images  they  considered  as  bodies  inhabited 
by  spirits,  and  oracular  responses  were  therefore 
received  from  them  as  uttered  by  the  divine  com 
mand,  f 

The  religion  of  Porto  Rico,  Jamaica,  and  His- 
paniola,  wras  the  same  as  that  of  Cuba  ;  for  the  in 
habitants  were  of  the  same  race,  and  spoke  the  same 
language.  The  Carribean  Islands,  on  the  other 
hand,  were  inhabited  by  a  very  fierce  and  savage 
people,  who  were  continually  at  war  with  the  milder 
natives  of  Cuba  and  Hispaniola,  and  were  regarded 


*  Mackenzie's  Voyages  from  Montreal,  on  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  through 
the  continent  of  North  America,  to  the  Frozen  and  Pacific  Oceans,  in  the 
years  1789  and  1793.  Lond.  1801.  4to.  p.  ci.  cii.  8vo.  1802.  vol.  i.  p.  124. 

t  Pet.  Mart,  decad  i.  lib.  ix.  apud  Stilliagfleet's  Origines  Sacra,  vol.  2.  p. 
360.  and  Edwards'  West-Indies,  vol.  i.  p.  83.  [See  Note  N  ] 


28 

by  them  with  the  utmost  terror  and  abhorrence. 
Yet  "  the  Charaibes,"  to  use  the  language  of  the 
elegant  historian  of  the  West  Indies,  "  while  they 
entertained  an  awful  sense  of  one  great  Univeisal 
Cause,  of  a  superior,  wise,  and  invisible  Being  of  ab 
solute  and  irresistible  power,  admitted  also  the 
agency  of  subordinate  divinities.  They  supposed 
that  each  individual  person  had  his  peculiar  protector 
or  tutelary  deity  ;  and  they  had  their  lares  and  pe- 
nates,  gods  of  their  own  creating."  "  Hughes,  in  his 
History  of  Barbadoes,  mentions  many  fragments  of 
Indian  idols,  dug  up  in  that  island,  which  were  com 
posed  of  the  same  materials  as  their  earthen  vessels. 
4 1  saw  the  head  of  one,'  snys  he,  '  which  alone 
weighed  above  sixty  pounds.  This,  before  it  was 
broken  off,  stood  upon  an  oval  pedestal,  about  three 
feet  in  height.  The  heads  of  all  the  others  were 
very  small.  These  lesser  idols  were,  in  all  proba 
bility,  made  small  for  the  ease  and  conveniency  of 
being  carried  with  them  in  their  several  journeys,  as 
the  larger  sort  were  perhaps  designed  for  some  sta 
ted  places  of  worship.'  "* 

Thus,  in  this  vast  extent  of  country,  from  Hud 
son's  Bay  to  the  West  Indies,  including  nations 
whose  languages  are  radically  different,  nations  un 
connected  with,  and  unknown  to,  each  other,  the 
greatest  uniformity  of  belief  prevails  with  regard  to 

*  Edwards,  vol.  i.  p.  48-9.  and  Hughes,  p.  7.  apud  Edwards  ut.  sup. 


29 

the  Supreme  Being,  and  the  greatest  harmony  in 
their  system  of  polytheism.  After  this  view,  it  is 
impossible  not  to  remark,  that  there  is  a  smaller  de 
parture  from  the  original  religion  among  the  Indians 
of  America,  than  among  the  more  civilized  nations 
of  Egypt,  Greece,  and  Rome.  The  idea  of  the 
Divine  Unity  is  much  more  perfectly  preserved ;  the 
subordinate  divinities  are  kept  at  a  much  more  im 
measurable  distance  from  the  Great  Spirit ;  and, 
above  all,  there  has  been  no  attempt  among  them  to 
degrade  to  the  likeness  of  men,  the  invisible  and  in 
comprehensible  Creator  of  the  universe.  In  fact, 
theirs  is  exactly  that  milder  form  of  idolatry  which 
"  prevailed  every  where  from  the  days  of  Abraham, 
his  single  family  excepted,"  and  which,  after  the 
death  of  that  patriarch  and  of  his  son  Isaac,  infected, 
from  time  to  time,  even  the  chosen  family  itself.* 

II.  The  belief  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments  has  been  kept  alive  among  all  heathen 
nations,  by  its  connexion  with  the  sensible  enjoy 
ments  and  sufferings,  and  the  consequent  hopes  and 
terrors  of  men. 

Its  origin  must  have  been  in  divine  revelation  ;  for 
it  is  impossible  to  conceive  that  the  mind  could  have 
attained  to  it  by  its  own  unassisted  powers.  But 
the  thought,  when  once  communicated,  would,  in  the 
shipwreck  of  dissolving  nature,  be  clung  to  with  the 

*  Horsley's  Dissertation,  ut  supr.  p.  47. 


30 

grasp  of  expiring  hope.  Hence  no  nations  have  yet 
been  found,  however  rude  and  barbarous,  who  have 
not  agreed  in  the  great  and  general  principle  of  retri 
butive  immortality.  When,  however,  we  descend 
to  detail,  and  inquire  into  their  peculiar  notions  with 
regard  to  this  expected  state,  we  find  that  their  tra 
ditions  are  coloured  by  the  nature  of  their  earthly 
occupations,  and  the  opinions  they  thence  entertain 
on  the  subject  of  good  and  evil. 

This  remark  is  fully  verified  by  the  history  of  the 
American  Indians.  "  The  belief  most  firmly  esta 
blished  among  the  American  savages,"  says  Charle- 
voix,  "  is  that  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul.*  They 
suppose,  that  when  separated  from  the  body,  it  pre 
serves  the  same  inclinations  which  it  had  when  both 
were  united.  For  this  reason,  they  bury  with  the 
dead  all  that  they  had  in  use  when  alive.  Some 
imagine  that  all  men  have  two  souls,  one  of  which 
never  leaves  the  body  unless  it  be  to  inhabit  ano 
ther.  This  transmigration,  however,  is  peculiar  to 
the  souls  of  those  who  die  in  infancy,  and  who 
therefore  have  the  privilege  of  commencing  a  se 
cond  life,  because  they  enjoyed  so  little  of  the  first. 
Hence  children  are  buried  along  the  highways,  that 
the  women,  as  they  pass,  may  receive  their  souls. 
From  this  idea  of  their  remaining  with  the  body, 
arises  the  duty  of  placing  food  upon  their  graves  ;f 
and  mothers  have  been  seen  to  draw  from  their 

*  S^e  Note  0.  t  Journal  Historique,  p.  351.    [See  Note  P.] 


SI 

bosoms  that  nourishment  which  these  little*  crea 
tures  loved  when  alive,  and  shed  it  upon  the  earth 
which  covered  their  remains."* 

«  When  the  time  has  arrived  for  the  departure  of 
those  spirits  which  leave  the  body,  they  pass  into  a 
region  which  is  destined  to  be  their  eternal  abode, 
and  which  is  therefore  called  the  Country  of  Souls. 
This  country  is  at  a  great  distance  toward  the  west, 
and  to  go  thither  costs  them  a  journey  of  many 
months.  They  have  many  difficulties  to  surmount, 
and  many  perils  to  encounter.  They  speak  of  a 
stream  in  which  many  suffer  shipwreck ; — of  a  dog 
from  which  they,  with  difficulty,  defend  them 
selves  ; — of  a  place  of  suffering  where  they  expiate 
their  faults  ; — of  another  in  which  the  souls  of  those 
prisoners  who  have  been  tortured  are  again  tor 
mented,  and  who  therefore  linger  on  their  course, 
to  delay  as  long  as  possible  the  moment  of  their 
arrival.  From  this  idea  it  proceeds,  that  after  the 
death  of  these  unhappy  victims,  for  fear  their  souls 
may  remain  around  the  huts  of  their  tormentors  from 
the  thirst  of  vengeance,  the  latter  are  careful  to 

*  "  On  a  vft  des  meres  garden  des  annees  entieres  les  cadavres  de  leurs  en- 
fans,  et  ne  pouvoir  s'en  eloigner ;  et  d'autres  se  tirer  du  lait  de  la  mamelle, 
et  le  repandre  sur  la  torabe  de  ces  petites  creatures.  Si  le  feu  prend  a  un 
village,  ou  il  y  ait  des  corps  morts,  c'est  la  premiere  chose  qu'on  met  en 
surete  j  on  se  depouille  de  ce  qu'on  a  de  plus  precieux,  pour  en  parer  les 
defunts  :  de  terns  en  terns  on  d6eouvre  leurs  cercueils  pour  les  changer  d'ha- 
bits,  et  Ton  s'arrache  les  morceaux  de  la  bouche,  pour  les  porter  sur  leur 
sepulture,  et  dans  les  lieux,  ou  Ton  s'imagine  que  leurs  ames  se  pronaenent." 
Charlevoix,  Journal,  ut  supr.  p.  372-3, 


32 

strike  every  place  around  them  with  a  staff,  and  to 
utter  guch  terrible  cries  as  may  oblige  them  to  de 
part."* 

To  be  put  to  death  as  a  captive  is,  therefore,  an 
exclusion  from  the  Indian  paradise  ;  and,  indeed, 
"  the  souls  of  all  who  have  died  a  violent  death, 
even  in  war,  and  in  the  service  of  their  country,  are 
supposed  to  have  no  intercourse  in  the  future  world 
with  other  souls.f  They  therefore  burn  the  bodies 
of  such  persons,  or  bury  them,  sometimes  before  they 
have  expired.  They  are  never  put  into  the  common 
place  of  interment,  and  they  have  no  part  in  that 
solemn  ceremony  which  the  Hurons  and  the  Iroquois 
observe  every  ten  years,  and  other  nations  every 
eight,  of  depositing  all  who  have  died  during  that 
period  in  a  common  place  of  sepulture."! 

To  have  been  a  good  hunter,  brave  in  war,  fortu 
nate  in  every  enterprise,  and  victorious  over  many 
enemies,  are  the  only  titles  to  enter  their  abode  of 
bliss.  The  happiness  of  it  consists  in  the  never-fail 
ing  supply  of  game  and  fish,  an  eternal  spring,  and 
an  abundance  of  every  thing  which  can  delight  the 

*  Journal  Historique,  ut  supr.  p.  352.     [See  Note  Q.] 

t  How  different  from  the  opinions  of  the  Scandinavian  Nations,  from 
whose  paradise  all  were  excluded  who  ignobly  died  in  the  common 
course  of  nature.  None  were  admitted  to  the  Hall  of  Odin  but  those  who 
had  fallen  in  battle. 

J  Charlevoix,  Journal  Hist.  p.  376-7.  This  ceremony  is  called  the  feast 
of  the  dead,  or  of  souls,  and  is  described  very  minutely  by  Charlevoix,  who 
calls  it  "  1'action  la  plus  sin§uliere  et  la  plus  celebre  de  toute  la  religion  de* 
sauvages." 


33 

senses  without  the  labour  of  procuring  it."*  Such 
are  the  pleasures  which  they  anticipate  who  often 
return  weary  and  hungry  from  the  chase,  who  are 
often  exposed  to  the  inclemencies  of  a  wintry  sky, 
and  who  look  upon  all  labour  as  an  unmanly  and 
degrading  employment. 

The  Chepewyans  live  between  the  parallels  of  lat. 
60  and  65  north,  a  region  of  almost  perpetual  snows  ; 
where  the  ground  never  thaws,  and  is  so  barren  as 
to  produce  nothing  but  moss.f 

To  them,  therefore,  perpetual  verdure  and  fer 
tility,  and  waters  unincumbered  with  ice,  are  volup 
tuous  images.  Hence  they  imagine  that,  after  death, 
they  shall  inhabit  a  most  beautiful  island  in  the 
centre  of  an  extensive  lake.  On  the  surface  of  this 
lake  they  will  embark  in  a  stone  canoe,  and  if  their 
actions  have  been  generally  good,  will  be  borne  by 
a  gentle  current  to  their  delightful  and  eternal  abode. 
But  if,  on  the  contrary,  their  bad  actions  predominate, 
"  the  stone  canoe  sinks,  and  leaves  them  up  to  their 
chins  in  the  water,  to  behold  and  regret  the  reward 
enjoyed  by  the  good,  and  eternally  struggling,  but 
with  unavailing  endeavours,  to  reach  the  blissful 
island,  from  which  they  are  excluded  for  ever."J 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Arrowauks,  or  natives  of 


*  Charlev.  ut  supr.  p.  352-3. 
t  Mackenzie,  8vo.  vol.  I.  p.  155. 157. 

t  Mackenzie,  ut  sup.  General  History  of  the  Fur  Trade,  4to.  p.  cxix.  8v» 
vol.i.  p.  145,  6. 

5 


34 

Cuba,  Hispaniola,  Porto  Rico,  Jamaica  and  Trini 
dad,  would  naturally  place  their  enjoyments  in 
every  thing  that  was  opposite  to  the  violence  of  a 
tropical  climate.  "  They  supposed,  therefore,  that 
the  spirits  of  good  men  were  conveyed  to  the  plea 
sant  valley  of  Coy  aba;  a  place  of  indolent  tranquillity, 
abounding  with  guavas  and  other  delicious  fruits, 
cool  shades,  and  murmuring  rivulets ;  in  a  country 
where  drought  never  rages3  and  the  hurricane  is 
never  felt."* 

While  these  voluptuous  people  made  the  happi 
ness  of  the  Future  State  to  consist  in  these  tranquil 
enjoyments,  their  fierce  enemies,  the  Charaibes, 
looked  forward  to  a  paradise,  in  which  the  brave 
would  be  attended  by  their  wives  and  captives. 
"  The  degenerate  and  the  cowardly,  they  doomed 
to  everlasting  banishment  beyond  the  mountains;  to 
unremitting  labour  in  employments  that  disgrace 
manhood — a  disgrace  heightened  by  the  greatest  of 
all  afflictions,  captivity  and  servitude  among  the  Ar- 

rowauks."f 

Thus  the  ideas  of  the  savage,  with  regard  to  the 
peculiar  nature  of  future  bliss  or  woe,  are  always  mo 
dified  by  associations  arising  from  his  peculiar  situa 
tion,  his  peculiar  turn  of  thought,  and  the  pains  and 
pleasures  of  the  senses.  With  regard  to  the  ques 
tion  in  what  their  happiness  or  misery  will  consist, 

*  Edwards'  West  Indies,  vol.  i.  p.  73.  I  Ibid,  vol.  i.  p.  47. 


35 

they  differ ;  but  with  regard  to  the  existence  of  a 
future  state,  and  that  it  will  be  a  state  of  retribution 
for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body,  they  agree  without 
exception,  and  their  faith  is  bright  and  cloudless. 
<£  Whether  you  are  divinities  or  mortal  men,"  said 
an  old  man  of  Cuba  to  Columbus,  "  we  know  not — 
but  if  you  are  men,  subject  to  mortality  like  our 
selves,  you  cannot  be  unapprised,  that  after  this  life 
there  is  another,  wherein  a  very  different  portion  is 
allotted  to  good  and  bad  men.  If,  therefore,  you 
expect  to  die,  and  believe,  with  us,  that  every  one  is 
to  be  rewarded  in  a  future  state,  according  to  his 
conduct  in  the  present,  you  will  do  no  hurt  to  those 
who  do  none  to  you."* 

This  relation  is  given  us  by  Martyr,  and  it  is  suf 
ficient  to  show,  with  what  exactness  the  primitive 
belief  has  been  retained.  This  man  was  a  savage, 
but  he  spoke  the  language  of  the  purest  revelation. 

III.  On  the  belief  of  a  God  who  regulates  the 
affairs  of  men,  and  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and 
punishments,  all  religion  is  founded ;  and  from  these 
principles,  all  religious  rites  are  ultimately  derived* 
But  there  is  an  obvious  distinction  to  be  made,  be 
tween  the  tradition  of  doctrines,  and  the  tradition  of 
those  outward  observances  with  which  the  doctrines 
were  originally  connected.  The  tradition  of  doc- 

*  Herrera,  lib.  ii.  cap.  14.  and  Martyr,  decad.  i.  lib.  fi.  apud  Edwards, 
vol.  i.  p.  72-3.    See  also  Stillingfleet's  Orig.  Sac.  Oxon.  1797.  vol.  2.  p.  357. 


36 

trines  is  oral ;  the  tradition  of  ceremonies  is  ocular. 
The  relation  of  the  most  simple  fact,  as  it  passes 
from  mouth  to  mouth,  is  discoloured  and  distorted. 
After  a  few  removals  from  its  source,  it  becomes  so 
altered  as  hardly  to  have  any  resemblance  to  its  first 
form.  But  it  is  not  so  with  regard  to  actions. 
These  are  retained  by  the  sight,  the  most  faithful 
and  accurate  of  our  senses  ; — they  are  imitated  ; — 
the  imitation  becomes  habitual ; — and  habits,  when 
once  formed,  are  with  difficulty  eradicated.  No 
fact  is  more  certain,  or  falls  more  within  the  expe 
rience  of  every  attentive  observer  of  our  nature,  than 
that  of  customs  prevailing  among  nations,  for  which 
they  are  totally  unable  to  account.  Even  among 
individuals,  habits  exist,  long  after  the  causes  have 
ceased,  to  which  they  owed  their  origin.  The  child 
imitates  the  actions  of  the  parent,  without  inquiring, 
in  all  cases,  into  the  motives  which  lead  to  the  ob 
servance  ;  and  even  if  informed  of  the  motives,  he 
may  either  misconceive  or  forget  them.  Here  then 
is  the  difference  between  oral  and  ocular  tradition. 
The  doctrine  may  be  lost  in  the  current  of  ages, 
while  the  ceremony  is  transmitted  unimpaired. 

Segnius  irritant  aninios  demissa  per  aurem 
Quam  quae  sunt  oculis  subjecta  fidelibus. 

HOR.  A.  P.  180  * ' 


That  which  strikes  the  eye 

Lives  long  upon  the  mind  :  The  faithful  sight 
Engraves  the  image  with  a  beam  of  light. 


37 

In  endeavouring,  therefore,  to  trace  the  affinities 
which  a  corrupt  religion  may  bear  to  the  pure,  if  we 
wish  to  be  successful,  we  must  confine  ourselves  to 
its  outward  observances.  This  remark  applies  with 
peculiar  force  to  the  religion  of  the  Indian  tribes. 
They  have  never  possessed  the  knowledge  of  letters, 
and  all  their  religious  doctrines  have  been  trusted  to 
the  uncertain  conveyance  of  oral  tradition.  The 
wild  and  roving  life  of  the  Indian,  is  at  variance  with 
the  reception  of  regular  instruction  ;  and  though  the 
parents  may  be  very  careful  in  relating  their  tradi 
tions  to  their  children,*  they  must,  of  necessity,  be 
confused  and  imperfect. 

But  supposing  them  to  be  ever  so  exact,  we  have 
no  certainty  that  the  accounts  given  of  them  by  tra 
vellers  are  correct.  The  Indians,  it  has  before  been 
observed,  are  not  communicative  on  religious  sub 
jects  ;  and  they  may  take  pleasure  in  baffling,  or  mis 
leading,  the  curiosity  of  white  men,  whom  they,  in 
general,  look  upon  with  no  friendly  eye.  And  with 
regard  to  oral  traditions,  there  is  greater  room,  also, 
for  the  imagination  of  the  traveller  to  draw  wrong 
conclusions,  and  to  be  influenced  in  his  report  by  the 
power  of  a  preconceived  system.  On  the  other 
hand,  with  regard  to  religious  ceremonies,  he  has 
only  to  give  a  faithful  relation  of  what  he  sees  ;  and 

*  See  Heckewclder,  Hist.  Ace.  p.  99.  who  mentions  the  great  pains 
which  the  Indians  take  to  instil  good  principles  into  the  minds  of  theii^ chil 
dren. 


38 

even  if  the  force  of  some  favourite  theory,  leads  him 
to  mingle  his  comments  with  his  description,  a  judi 
cious  reader  is  able  to  separate  the  one  from  the 
other.  The  application  of  these  principles  will  save 
much  labour,  and  give  certainty  to  a  subject,  which 
has  hitherto  been  considered  as  affording  nothing 
but  conjecture.  We  will  proceed,  then,  to  consider 
the  external  part  of  the  religion  of  the  Indians,  and 
we  shall  soon  see,  not  only  that  there  is  a  great 
uniformity  among  the  rites  of  nations  who  are  radi 
cally  different,  but,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  that  con 
nexion  with  the  patriarchal  religion  which  might 
naturally  be  supposed  to  exist,  if  the  one  be  consi 
dered  as  a  corruption  of  the  other. 

All  who  have  been  conversant  with  the  worship 
of  the  American  tribes,  unite  in  the  assertion,  that 
they  offer  sacrifices  and  oblations,  both  to  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  to  the  subordinate  or  intermediate  Divi' 
nities. 

To  all  the  inferior  deities,  whether  good  or  male 
volent,  the  Hurons,  the  Iroquois,  and  the  Algonkins, 
make  various  kinds  of  offerings.  "  To  propitiate 
the  God  of  the  Waters,"  says  Charlevoix,  "  they 
cast  into  the  streams  and  lakes,  tobacco,  and  birds 
which  they  have  put  to  death.  In  honour  of  the 
Sun,  and  also  of  inferior  Spirits,  they  consume  in 
the  fire  a  part  of  every  thing  they  use,  as  an  acknow 
ledgment  of  the  power  from  which  they  have  de- 


39 

rived  these  possessions.  On  some  occasions,  they 
have  been  observed  to  make  libations,  invoking  at 
the  same  time,  in  a  mysterious  manner,  the  object 
of  their  worship.  These  invocations  they  have 
never  explained  ;  whether  it  be,  that  they  have  in 
fact  no  meaning,  or  that  the  words  have  been  trans 
mitted  by  tradition,  unaccompanied  by  their  signifi 
cation,  or  that  the  Indians  themselves  are  unwilling 
to  reveal  the  secret.  Strings  of  wampum,  tobacco, 
ears  of  corn,  the  skins,  and  often  the  whole  carcasses 
of  animals,  are  seen  along  difficult  or  dangerous 
roads,  on  rocks,  and  on  the  shores  of  rapids,  as  so 
many  offerings  made  to  the  presiding  spirit  of  the 
place.  In  these  cases,  dogs  are  the  most  common 
victims  ;*  and  are  often  suspended  alive  upon  trees 
by  the  hinder  feet,  where  they  are  left  to  die  in  a 
state  of  madness. "f 

What  Charlevoix  thus  affirms,  with  regard  to  the 
Hurons,  Iroquois,  and  Algonkins,  is  mentioned  by 
Mackenzie,  as  practised  among  the  Knisteneaux. 
"  There  are  stated  periods,"  says  he,  "  such  as  the 
spring  and  autumn,  when  they  engage  in  very  long 
and  solemn  ceremonies.  On  these  occasions,  dogs 
are  offered  as  sacrifices  ;  and  those  which  are  fat 
and  milk  white  are  preferred.  They  also  make  large 
offerings  of  their  property,  whatever  it  may  be. 
The  scene  of  these  ceremonies,  is  in  an  open  inclo- 

*  See  Note  R.  1  Cbarle\Toix,  Journal,  p.  347-8. 


40 

sure,  on  the  bank  of  a  river  or  lake,  and  in  the  most 
conspicuous  situation,  in  order  that  such  as  are  pass 
ing  along,  or  travelling,  may  be  induced  to  make 
their  offerings.  There  is  also  a  particular  custom 
among  them,  that  on  these  occasions,  if  any  of  the 
tribe,  or  even  a  stranger,  should  be  passing  by,  and 
be  in  real  want  of  any  thing  that  is  displayed  as  an 
offering,  he  has  a  right  to  take  it,  so  that  he  replaces 
it  with  some  article  he  can  spare,  though  it  be  of  far 
inferior  value ;  but  to  take  or  touch  any  thing  wan 
tonly  is  considered  as  a  sacrilegious  act,  and  highly 
insulting  to  the  Great  Master  of  Life,  who  is  the 
sacred  object  of  their  devotion."  At  the  feasts 
made  by  their  chiefs,  he  farther  observes,  "  a  small 
quantity  of  meat  or  drink  is  sacrificed  before  they 
begin  to  eat,  by  throwing  it  into  the  fire,  or  on  the 
earth."* 

A  similar  account  is  given  by  Adair  of  the  prac 
tice  among  the  Creeks,  Katabahs,  Cherokees,  Choc- 
taws,  and  other  southern  Indians.  "  The  Indian 
women,"  says  he,  "  always  throw  a  small  piece  of 
the  fattest  of  the  meat  into  the  fire,  when  they  are 
eating,  and  frequently  before  they  begin  to  eat* 
They  pretend  to  draw  omens  from  it,  and  firmly  be 
lieve  that  it  is  the  mean  of  obtaining  temporal  bless 
ings,  and  averting  temporal  evils.  The  men,  both 
in  their  summer  and  winter  hunt,  sacrifice  in  the 

*  Gen.  Hist,  of  Fur  Trade,  4to.  p.  c.  ci.  cii.  civ.  8vo.  vol.  i.  p.  123-4. 128. 


41 

woods  a  large  fat  piece  of  the  first  buck  they  kill, 
and  frequently  the  whole  carcass.  This  they  offer 
up,  either  as  a  thanksgiving  for  the  recovery  of 
health,  and  for  their  former  success  in  hunting,  or 
that  the  Divine  care  and  goodness  may  still  be  con 
tinued  to  them."* 

The  song  of  the  Lenape  warriors,  as  they  go  out 
to  meet  their  enemy,  concludes  with  the  promise  of 
a  victim  if  they  return  in  safety. 

O  !  Thou  Great  Spirit  above  ! 


Give  me  strength  and  courage  to  meet  my  enemy  : 

Suffer  me  to  return  again  to  my  children, 

To  my  wife, 

And  to  my  relations  ! 

Take  pity  on  me  and  preserve  my  life, 

And  £  will  make  to  thee  a  sacrifice. 

Accordingly,  "  after  a  successful  war,"  says 
Heckewelder,  "  they  never  fail  to  offer  up  a  sacrifice 
to  the  great  Being,  to  return  him  thanks  for  having 
given  them  courage  and  strength  to  destroy  or  con 
quer  their  enemies,  "f 

Loskiel,  who  has  given  a  minute  account  of 
the  sacrifices  offered  by  the  Lenape  or  Dela- 
wares,  and  who  is  said,  by  Heckewelder,  to  have 
almost  exhausted  the  subject,  affirms  that  they 
are  offered  upon  all  occasions,  the  most  trivial. 

*  Adair,  Hist,  of  North  American  Indians,  p.  115.  117. 

1  Heckewelder,  Hist.  Ace.  of  Ind.  p.  204.  207.     f  See  Note  SJ 

6 


42 

as  well  as  the  most  important.  "  They  sacrifice  to 
a  hare,"  says  he,  "  because,  according  to  report, 
the  first  ancestor  of  the  Indian  tribes  had  that  name.* 
To  indian  corn,  they  sacrifice  bear's  flesh,  but  to  deer 
and  bears,  indian  corn  ;  to  the  fishes,  small  pieces  of 
bread  in  the  shape  of  fishes  ;  but  they  positively 
deny,  that  they  pay  any  adoration  to  these  subordi 
nate  good  spirits,  and  affirm,  that  they  only  worship 
the  true  God,  through  them  :  For  God,  say  they, 
does  not  require  men  to  pay  offerings  or  adoration 
immediately  to  him.  He  has,  therefore,  made 
known  his  will  in  dreams,  notifying  to  them,  what 
beings  they  have  to  consider  as  Manittoes,  and  what 
offerings  to  make  to  them."t — "When  a  boy  dreams, 
that  he  sees  a  large  bird  of  prey,  of  the  size  of  a  man, 
flying  toward  him  from  the  north,  and  saying  to 
him,  '  Roast  some  meat  for  me,'  the  boy  is  then 
bound  to  sacrifice  the  first  deer  or  bear  he  shoots  to 
this  bird.  The  sacrifice  is  appointed  by  an  old  man, 
who  fixes  on  the  day  and  place  in  which  it  is  to  be 
performed.  Three  days  previous  to  it,  messengers 
are  sent  to  invite  the  guests.  These  assemble  in 
some  lonely  place,  in  a  house  large  enough  to  con 
tain  three  fires.  At  the  middle  fire,  the  old  man 


*  This  may  account  for  the  following  statement  by  Charlevoix  :  "  Pres- 
que  toutes  les  Nations  Algonquines  ont  donne  le  nom  de  grand  Litvre  au 
premier  Esprit.  Quelques  uns  1'appellent   Michabon  :    d'autres  rftahocan" 
Journal,  p.  344. 

*  Loskiel,  p.  40. 


43 

performs   the   sacrifice.      Having  sent  for   twelve 
strait  and  supple  sticks,  he  fastens  them  into  the 
ground,  so  as  to  inclose  a  circular  spot,  covering 
them  with  blankets.     He  then  rolls  twelve  red-hot 
stones  into  the  inclosure,  each  of  which  is  dedicated 
to  one  God  in  particular.     The  largest  belongs,  as 
they  say,  to  the  great  God  in  Heaven ;  the  second, 
to  the  sun,  or  the  God  of  the  day  ;  the  third,  to  the 
night  sun,  or  the  moon  ;  the  fourth,  to  the  earth  ; 
the  fifth,  to  the  fire ;  the  sixth,  to  the  water ;  the 
seventh,  to  the  dwelling  or  House-God  ;  the  eighth, 
to  indian  corn;  the  ninth,  to  the  west;  the  tenth, 
to  the  south  ;  the  eleventh,  to  the  east ;  and  the 
twelfth,  to  the  north.     The  old  man  then  takes  a 
rattle,  containing  some  grains  of  indian  corn,  and 
leading  the  boy,  for  whom  the  sacrifice  is  made,  into 
the  enclosure,  throws  a  handful  of  tobacco  upon  the 
red-hot  stones,  and  as  the  smoke  ascends,  rattles  his 
calabash,  calling  each  God  by  name,   and  saying  : 
4  This  boy  (naming  him)  offers  unto  thee  a  fine  fat 
deer  and  a  delicious  dish  of  sapan  !  Have  mercy  on 
him,  and  grant  good  luck  to  him  and  his  family.5  "* 
All  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  Indies  offered  sa 
crifices  ;  and  of  these,  the  Charaibes  were  accustom 
ed,  at  the  funerals  of  their  Mends,  to  offer  some  of 
the  captives  who   had   been  taken   in   battle.f     I 
scarcely  need  advert  to  the  well-knowrn  fact,  that 

*  Loskiel,  part  i.  cap.  iii.  p.  42-3. 
t  Edwards'  West-Indies,  p.  47.  51. 


44 

human  sacrifices  were  offered  by  the  Mexicans.  Of 
these,  all  the  Spanish  historians  have  given  the  most 
horrible  and  disgusting  account,  and  they  are  de 
scribed  more  especially  by  Bernal  Diaz,  who  was 
an  eye  witness,  with  the  most  artless  and  affecting 
simplicity.  Of  this  practice,  however,  there  are  no 
traces  among  the  present  Indian  tribes,  unless  the 
tormenting  of  their  captives,  as  Charlevoix  seems  to 
intimate,  be  considered  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  God  of 


war.* 


That  the  practice  of  sacrifice,  as  an  expiation  for 
sin,  formed  a  prominent  feature  in  the  religion  of  all 
the  nations  of  the  old  world,  is  a  truth  too  well 
known  to  require  proof.  That  it  formed  a  part  of 
the  patriarchal  religion  is  equally  evident ;  and  that 
it  must  have  been  of  divine  institution  will,  I  think, 
be  admitted,  after  a  very  little  reflection.  The  ear 
liest  instance  of  worship,  recorded  in  the  Holy  Scrip 
tures,  is  the  sacrifice  offered  by  Cain  and  Abel,  at  a 
period  when  no  permission  had  yet  been  given  to  eat 
animal  food,  and  no  pretext  could  have  possibly  pre 
sented  itself  to  the  mind  of  man  for  taking  the  life 
of  any  of  the  creatures  of  God.  It  is  equally  incon 
ceivable,  that  by  any  deduction  of  unassisted  reason, 

*  "  II  semble  que  ce  soit  des  victimes  qu'on  engraisse  pour  le  sacrifice,  et  ils 
sont  effectivement  immoles  au  Dieu  de  la  Guerre :  la  seule  difference  qu'on 
met  entre  ceux  et  les  autres,  (the  adopted  prisoners,)  c'est  qu'on  leur  noircit 
entierement  le  visage."  Journal  Hist.  p.  246. 


45 

the  mind  could  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that 
to  destroy  a  part  of  creation,  could  be  acceptable  to 
the  Creator ;  much  less,  that  it  could  be  viewed  as 
an  act  of  homage.  The  difficulty  is  still  greater, 
when  it  is  considered  that  this  was  intended  as  an 
expiation  for  the  sins  of  the  offerer.  How  could  the 
shedding  of  the  blood  of  an  animal  be  looked  upon 
as  an  atonement  for  the  offences  which  man  had 
committed  against  his  maker  ?  This  would  have 
been  to  make  an  act  at  which  nature  would  once 
have  involuntarily  shuddered,  the  expiation  of  an 
other  act  which  might  not  in  itself  be  so  hurtful  or 
so  barbarous. 

This  reasoning  is  further  strengthened  by  the  next 
instance  of  worship  recorded  in  the  Bible.  When 
Noah  had  descended  from  the  Ark,  the  first  act  of  a 
religious  nature  which  he  performed,  \vas  to  build 
an  altar  and  to  offer  sacrifice.  Human  reason  would 
have  dictated  a  course  of  conduct  directly  opposite  ; 
for  it  would  have  told  him  not  to  diminish  the  scanty 
remnant  of  life ;  especially  when  the  earth  was  al 
ready  covered  with  the  victims  which  had  perished 
in  the  mighty  waste  of  waters. 

But  if  of  divine  institution,  the  question  then  ari 
ses,  what  was  the  reason  of  the  institution  ?  Every 
intelligent  being  proposes  to  himself  some  end — 
some  design  to  be  accomplished  by  his  actions. 
What,  then,  with  reverence  let  it  be  asked,  was  the 
design  of  God  ? 


46 

To  the  Christian  the  solution  of  this  inquiry  is  not 
difficult.     He  has  learned,  that  in  the  secret  counsels 
of  almighty  wisdom,  the  death  of  the  Messiah  was 
essential  for  the  salvation  of  man ;  that  in  his  death, 
the  first  of  our  race  was  as  much  interested  as  he 
will  be,  who  will  listen  to  the  last  stroke  of  depart 
ing  time  ;  that  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  esta 
blish  a  representation  of  this  great  event  as  a  sign  of 
the  future  blessing,  in  order  to  keep  alive  the  hopes 
and  the  expectations  of  men ;  and  that  this  was  ef 
fected  by  the  slaughter  of  an  innocent  animal,  whose 
life  was  in  the  blood,  and  whose  blood  poured  out 
was  the  symbol  of  His  death,  who  offered  himself  a 
ransom  for  the  sins  of  men. 

Assuming  this  as  the  origin  and  intent  of  sacri 
fice,  it  is  easy  to  account  for  its  universal  prevalence 
among  mankind.  Noah,  as  we  have  seen,  offered  a 
burnt  offering  immediately  after  he  left  the  Ark. 
From  him,  and  his  three  sons,  did  their  posterity  de 
rive  the  practice  ;  and  we  find  from  the  Scriptures, 
that  it  prevailed  among  all  the  nations,  which,  from 
their  connexion  with  the  family  of  Israel,  are  there 
incidentally  mentioned. 

If  we  turn  to  profane  history,  we  cannot  open  a 
volume  without  meeting  every  where  the  record 
of  sacrifice.  The  Phenicians,  the  Ethiopians,  the 
Egyptians,  the  Chinese,  the  Persians,  the  nations  in 
the  north  of  Europe  and  Asia,  the  Carthaginians, 
the  Greeks,  the  Romans,  the  inhabitants  of  Gaul 


47 

and  Britain — in  a  word,  every  heathen  nation,  of 
which  we  have  any  records  remaining,  constantly 
offered  sacrifice  as  an  expiation  for  sin.  The  gra 
dual  corruption  of  the  true  religion,  while  it  caused 
the  origin  of  the  rite  to  be  forgotten,  made  no  other 
alteration  in  the  practice  than  such  as  regarded  the 
quality  of  the  victim.  Human  reason  must,  at  all 
times,  have  perceived,  how  inadequate  was  the 
slaughter  of  animals  to  atone  for  the  sins  of  man 
kind.  A  nobler  victim  seemed  to  be  demanded ;  and 
it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  the  blood  of  men, 
and  even  of  children,  as  approaching  nearer  to  inno 
cence,  should  finally  be  considered  as  essential  to  ob 
tain  the  grant  of  pardon.* 

To  find  the  same  practice  prevailing  among  all 
the  Indian  tribes  of  America,  a  practice  deriving  its 
origin,  not  from  any  dictate  of  nature,  or  from 
the  deductions  of  reason,  but  resting  solely  upon  the 
positive  institution  of  God,  affords  the  most  trium 
phant  evidence,  that  they  sprang  from  the  common 
parent  of  mankind,  and  that  their  religion,  like  that 
of  all  other  heathen  nations,  is  derived  by  a  gradual 
deterioration  from  that  of  Noah.  At  the  same  time, 
it  will  be  seen,  that  they  are  far  from  having  sunk  to 
the  lowest  round  on  the  scale  of  corruption.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Mexicans,  their  religious  rites 

*  SeeNateT. 


48 

have  a  character  of  mildness  which  we  should  else 
where  seek  in  vain. 

IV.  Having  seen  that  sacrifice  is  practised  among 
the  Indians,  we  are  naturally  led  to  consider  the 
question,  whether  they  have  among  them  a  priest 
hood  ;  and,  on  this  point,  the  testimony  of  travel 
lers  is  somewhat  discordant.  Mackenzie  mentions 
that  the  Chepewyans  have  high  priests  ;*  yet  he 
describes  the  public  sacrifices  of  the  Knisteneaux,  as 
offered  by  their  chiefs,  and  the  private,  by  every  man 
in  his  own  cabin,  assisted  by  his  most  intimate 
friend.t  Charlevoix  says,  that  among  the  Indians  of 
whom  he  writes,  in  public  ceremonies,  the  chiefs  are 
the  priests,  in  private,  the  father  of  each  family,  or 
where  there  is  none,  the  most  considerable  person  in 
the  cabin.  An  aged  missionary,  he  says,  who  lived 
among  the  Ottawas,  stated,  that  with  them  an  old 
man  performed  the  office  of  priest. "{  Loskiel  says 

:T  Mackenzie,  8vo.  vol.  i.  p.  153.  "  There  are  conjurers  and  high  priests, 
but  I  was  not  present  at  any  of  their  ceremonies." 

t  Ibid,  p.  124. 128-9. 

J  "  Si  Ton  peut  donner  le  nom  de  sacrifices  aux  offrandes,  que  ces  peoples 
font  a  leurs  divinites,  ks  pr&tres  parmi  eux  ne  sontjamais  les  jongleurs :  dans 
les  ceremonies  publiques,  ce  sont  les  chefs,  et  dans  le  domestique,  ce  sont 
ordinairement  les  peres  de  famille,  ou  a  leur  defaut  les  plus  considerable  de 
la  cabanne."  Journal  Hist.  p.  364. 

<*  Un  ancien  Missionaire  (le  pere  Claude  Allouez,  jesuite)  qui  a  beau 
ts  oup  vecu  avec  les  Outaouais  a  ecrit  que,  parmi  ces  sauvages,  un  viellard  fait 
Tofficede  prctre  dans  les  festins,  dont  je  viens  de  parler;  qu'il  commence  par 
remercier  les  esprits  du  succes  de  la  clmsse ;  qu'ensuite  un  autre  prend  un 
pain  de  petun,  le  rompt  en  deux,  et  le  jette  dans  le  feu."  Ibid,  p.  350. 


49 

of  the  Lenap6,  or  Delaware  Indians,  that  "  they 
have  neither  priests  regularly  appointed,  nor  tem 
ples.  At  general  and  solemn  sacrifices,  the  oldest 
men  perform  the  offices  of  priests  ;  but  in  private 
parties,  each  man  bringing  a  sacrifice  is  priest  him 
self.  Instead  of  a  temple,  a  large  dwelling-house 
is  fitted  up  for  the  purpose."  He  afterwards  speaks 
of  the  place  of  offering,  under  the  name  of  "  the 
house  of  sacrifice,"  and  mentions  it  as  being  "  in  a 
lonely  place. '" 

On  the  other  hand,  Bartram,  in  his  account  of  the 
Southern  tribes,  says,  "  There  is  in  every  town,  or 
tribe,  a  High  Priest,  with  several  inferior,  or  junior 
priests,  called  by  the  white  people  jugglers,  or  conju 
rers."!  To  the  same  purpose,  Adair  asserts,  that, 
they  "  have  their  High  Priests,  and  others  of  a  reli 
gious  order."  "  Ishtohoollo,"  he  observes,  "  is  the 
name  of  all  their  priestly  order,  and  their  pontifical 
office  descends  by  inheritance  to  the  eldest."! 

Notwithstanding  this  diversity,  however,  the  dif 
ference  is  more  in  appearance  than  in  reality.  Va 
rious  meanings  attached  to  the  same  words,  in  con 
sequence  of  arbitrary  associations,  may  produce  a 
diversity  of  description.  If  a  priest  be  one  whose 
exclusive  duty  it  is  to  celebrate  the  rites  of  religion, 

*  Loskiel,  p.  39,  40.  42.  ad  calc.  A  house  of  sacrifice  is  only  another 
name  for  temple. 

t  Bartram,  Travels  through  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia.  F.Hst  and 
West  Florida,  fee.  Lond.  1792.  8vo.  p  495. 

;J  Adair,  Hist.  North  American  Indians,  p.  80.  81.- 

7 


50 

then  it  must  be  admitted  that  a  priesthood  exists 
among  the  Indians ;  for  those  who  deny  that  they 
have  priests,  allow  that  in  their  public  sacrifices 
the  chiefs  are  the  only  persons  authorized  to  offi 
ciate.  The  only  difference,  then,  lies  in  this,  whe 
ther  the  priesthood  be  or  be  not  connected  with  the 
office  of  the  magistrate. 

Among  Christians,  as  among  the  Jews,  the  priest 
hood  is  distinct  from  the  civil  authority  ;  but  pre 
vious  to  the  separation  of  the  family  of  Aaron,  these 
two  offices  were  generally  united.  Melchizedeck 
was  both  king  of  Salem  and  priest  of  the  most  High 
God.  Jethro  was,  at  the  same  time,  priest  and 
prince  of  Midian ;  and  Abraham  himself,  who  is 
called  a  prince,  performed  the  sacerdotal  functions. 
We  find  this  union  of  the  regal  and  sacerdotal  cha 
racters  existing  among  heathen  nations.  Homer 
describes  the  aged  Pylian  King  as  performing  reli 
gious  rites  ;*  and  Virgil  tells  of  the  Monarch  of 
Delos,  who  was  both  priest  and  king : 

"Rex  Anius,  rex  idem  hominum  Phcebique  sacerdos."t 

Among  the  Creeks,  arid  other  Southern  Indians, 
a  monarchical  form  of  government  seems  to  pre 
vail  ;  among  the  Northern  Indians,  a  republican. 
In  both,  the  sacerdotal  office  may  be  united  with 
civil  authority,  and  therefore  partake  of  its  peculiar 
character.  Among  the  one,  it  may  be  hereditary  : 

"  Oclyss.  lib.  iii.  1.  418-460.  t  ^Eneid.  lib.  iii.  1.  80. 


51 

among  the  other,  elective.  If  this  be  not  sufficient 
to  reconcile  the  discordant  accounts,  we  are  bound, 
I  think,  to  respect  the  united  testimony  of  Charle- 
voix  and  Loskiel,  in  preference  to  any  other,  as  they 
do  not  appear  to  have  had  any  s'ystem  to  serve, 
which  might  give  a  bias  to  their  statements.  And  if 
this  be  so,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Religion  of  the  In 
dians  approaches  much  nearer  to  the  patriarchal,  than 
to  that  of  the  Jews.  Their  public  sacerdotal  offices 
are  performed  by  their  chiefs,  and  in  their  private, 
the  head  of  every  family  is  its  priest. 

V.  But  there  is  another  office,  which  Carver,  Bar- 
tram,  and  others,  have  confounded  with  the  priest 
hood,  which  exists  among  all  the  Indian  Tribes,  and 
concerning  which,  there  is  no  diversity  in  the  state 
ment  of  travellers.  To  this  class  of  men,  the  French 
Missionaries  gave  the  name  of  Jongleurs,  whence 
the  English  have  derived  that  of  Jugglers  or  Conju 
rers.*  To  use  the  definition  of  Charlevoix,  they 
are  those  servants  of  their  Gods,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
announce  their  wishes,  and  to  be  their  interpreters 
to  men  :f  or,  in  the  language  of  Volney,  those 
"  whose  trade  it  is,  to  expound  dreams,  and  to  nego- 

*  See  Note  U. 

t  "  Us  (the  Jongleurs)  ne  sont  neansmoins  les  ministres  de  ces  Dieux  piv- 
tendus,  que  pour  annoncer  aux  hommes  leurs  volontes,  et  pour  etre  leurs  in- 
terpretes  :  car,  si  Ton  peut  dormer  le  nom  de  sacrifices  aux  offrandes  que  ces 
peuples  font  a  leurs  Divinites,  les  prdtres  parmi  enx  nn  sotit  jamnis  hs  Jon* 
gleurs."  Journal  Hist.  p.  363-4. 


52 

tiate  between  the  Mariitto,  and  the  votary."*  <c  The 
Jongleurs  of  Canada,"  says  Charlevoix,  "  boast  that; 
by  means  of  the  good  spirits  whom  they  consult, 
they  learn  what  is  passing  in  the  most  remote  coun 
tries,  and  what  is  to  come  to  pass  at  the  most  dis 
tant  period  of  time ;  that  they  discover  the  origin 
and  nature  of  the  most  secret  disorders,  and  obtain 
the  hidden  method  of  curing  them ;  that  they  dis 
cern  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  most  intricate 
affairs ;  that  they  learn  to  explain  the  obscurest 
dreams,  to  give  success  to  the  most  difficult  negotia 
tions,  and  to  render  the  Gods  propitious  to  warriors 
and  hunters."  "  I  have  heard,"  he  adds,  "  from  per 
sons  of  the  most  undoubted  judgment  and  veracity, 
that  when  these  impostors  shut  themselves  up  in 
their  sweating  stoves,  which  is  one  of  their  most 
common  preparations  for  the  performance  of  their 
sleight  of  hand,  they  differ  in  no  respect  from  the 
descriptions  given  by  the  poets,  of  the  priestesses  of 
Apollo,  when  seated  on  the  Delphic  Tripod.  They 
have  been  seen  to  fall  into  convulsions,  to  assume 
tones  of  voice,  and  to  perform  actions,  which  were 
seemingly  superior  to  human  strength,  and  which 
inspired  with  an  unconquerable  terror,  even  the  most 
prejudiced  spectators."  Their  predictions  were 
sometimes  so  surprisingly  verified,  that  Charlevoix 

*  View  of  the  soil  and  climate,  fcc.  p.  41T. 


68 

seems  firmly  to  have  believed,  that  they  had  a  real 
intercourse  with  the  father  of  lies.* 

This  account  of  the  Jongleurs  of  Canada,  is  con 
firmed  by  Mr.  Heckewelder,  in  his  late  work  on  the 
Indian  Tribes.  u  They  are  a  set,"  he  observes,  "  of 
professional  impostors,  who,  availing  themselves  of 
the  superstitious  prejudices  of  the  people,  acquire 
the  name  and  reputation  of  men  of  superior  know 
ledge,  and  possessed  of  supernatural  powers.  As 
the  Indians  in  general  believe  in  witchcraft,  and 
ascribe  to  the  arts  of  sorcerers  many  of  the  disor 
ders  with  which  they  are  afflicted  in  the  regular 
course  of  nature,  this  class  of  men  has  arisen  among 
them,  who  pretend  to  be  skilled  in  a  certain  occult 
science,  by  means  of  which  they  are  able,  not  only 
to  cure  natural  diseases,  but  to  counteract  or  destroy 
the  enchantments  of  wizzards  or  witches,  and  expel 
evil  Spirits."! 

"  There  are  jugglers  of  another  kind,  in  general 
old  men  and  women — who  get  their  living  by 
pretending  to  supernatural  knowledge — to  bring 
down  rain  when  wanted,  and  to  impart  good  luck 
to  bad  hunters.  In  the  summer  of  1799,  a  most 
uncommon  drought  happened  in  the  Muskingum 
country.  An  old  man  was  applied  to  by  the  wo- 
.men  to  bring  down  rain,  and,  after  various  ceremo- 


*  Charlevoix,  Journal,  p.  361-2. 

t  Heckewelder,  Hist.  Account,  ut  supr.  p.  224. 


54 

mes,  declared  that  they  should  have  rain  enough. 
The  sky  had  been  clear  for  nearly  five  weeks,  and 
was  equally  clear  when  the  Indian  made  this  decla 
ration.  But  about  four  in  the  afternoon,  the  horizon 
became  overcast,  and,  without  any  thunder  or  wind, 
it  began  to  rain,  and  continued  to  do  so  till  the 
ground  became  thoroughly  soaked.  Experience 
had  doubtless  taught  him  to  observe  that  certain 
signs  in  the  sky  or  in  the  water  were  the  forerun 
ners  of  rain ;  yet  the  credulous  multitude  did  not 
fail  to  ascribe  it  to  his  supernatural  power."*  "  It 
is  incredible  to  what  a  degree  the  superstitious  belief 
in  witchcraft  operates  on  the  mind  of  the  Indian. 
The  moment  his  imagination  is  struck  with  the  idea 
that  he  is  bewitched,  he  is  no  longer  himself.  Of 
this  extraordinary  power  of  their  conjurers,  of  the 
causes  which  produce  it,  and  the  manner  in  which  it 
is  acquired,  they  have  not  a  very  definite  idea.  The 
sorcerer,  they  think,  makes  use  of  some  deadening 
substance,  which  he  conveys  to  the  person  he  means 
to  c  strike,'  in  a  manner  which  they  can  neither  un 
derstand  nor  describe.  The  person  thus  *  stricken,' 
is  immediately  seized  with  an  unaccountable  terror. 
His  spirits  sink,  his  appetite  fails,  he  is  disturbed  in 
his  sleep,  he  pines  and  wastes  away,  or  a  fit  of  sick 
ness  seizes  him,  and  he  dies  at  last,  a  miserable  vic 
tim  to  the  workings  of  his  own  imagination.''! 

*  Heckewelder,  Hist.  Ace.  of  Indians,  ut  supr.  p.  229—231. 
t  Ibid,  p.  232-3. 


55 

A  remarkable  instance  of  this  belief  in  the  power 
of  these  sorcerers,  and  of  the  wonderful  effects  of 
imagination,  is  related  by  Hearne,  as  having  occur 
red  during  his  residence  among  the  northern  or 
Chepewyan  Indians.  Matonabbee,  one  of  their 
chiefs,  had  requested  him  to  kill  one  of  his  enemies, 
who  was  at  that  time  several  hundred  miles  distant. 
"  To  please  this  great  man,"  says  he,  "  and  not  ex 
pecting  that  any  harm  could  possibly  arise  from  it,  I 
drew  a  rough  sketch  of  two  human  figures  on  a  piece 
of  paper,  in  the  attitude  of  wrestling ;  in  the  hand 
of  one  of  them  I  drew  the  figure  of  a  bayonet,  point 
ing  to  the  breast  of  the  other.  '  This,'  said  I  to 
Matonabbee,  pointing  to  the  figure  which  was  hold 
ing  the  bayonet,  '  is  I,  and  the  other  is  your  enemy.' 
Opposite  to  those  figures  I  drew  a  pine  tree,  over 
which  I  placed  a  large  human  eye,  and  out  of  the 
tree  projected  a  human  hand.  This  paper  I  gave  to 
Matonabbee,  with  instructions  to  make  it  as  public 
as  possible.  The  following  year  when  he  came  to 
trade,  he  informed  me  that  the  man  was  dead.  Ma 
tonabbee  assured  me,  that  the  man  was  in  perfect 
health  when  he  heard  of  my  design  against  him,  but 
almost  immediately  afterward  became  quite  gloomy, 
and,  refusing  all  kinds  of  sustenance,  in  a  very  few 
days  died."* 

Bartram,  in  his  account  of  the  manners  and  habits 

*  Hearne,  Journey  to  the  Northern  Ocean.  Dublin,  1796,  8vo.  p.  22-1. 


56 

of  the  tribes  which  inhabit  Florida  and  the  south  of 
the  United  States,  relates,  as  their  general  belief, 
that  "  their  seer  has  communion  with  powerful  in 
visible  spirits,  who  have  a  share  in  the  government  of 
human  affairs,  as  well  as  of  the  elements.  His  in 
fluence  is  so  great,  as  frequently  to  turn  back  an 
army  when  within  a  day's  journey  of  their  enemy, 
after  a  march  of  several  hundred  miles."  "  Indeed," 
he  adds,  "  the  predictions  of  these  men  have  sur 
prised  many  people.  They  foretel  rain  or  drought, 
pretend  to  bring  rain  at  pleasure,  cure  diseases,  ex 
ercise  witchcraft,  invoke  or  expel  evil  spirits,  and 
even  assume  the  power  of  directing  thunder  and 
lightning."* 

The  power,  then,  of  these  impostors,  is  supposed 
to  consist — in  the  miraculous  cure  of  diseases — the 
procuring  of  rain,  and  other  temporal  blessings,  in 
the  same  supernatural  manner — the  miraculous  in 
fliction  of  punishment  upon  the  subjects  of  their  dis 
pleasure — and  the  foretelling  of  future  events.  It 
will  immediately  be  seen,  that  these  are,  in  fact,  the 
characteristics  of  the  prophetic  office ;  those,  I  mean, 
which  are  external,  which  produce,  therefore,  a  last 
ing  impression  upon  the  senses  of  men,  and  from 
the  force  of  ocular  tradition,  would  naturally  be  pre 
tended  to,  even  after  the  power  of  God  was  with 
drawn. 


*  Bartrain,  Travels,  ut  supr.  p.  495. 


* 


57 

That  true  prophets  had  such  power,  is  evident 
from  the  whole  tenor  of  Sacred  History.  On  their 
power  of  predicting  future  events,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  dwell ;  but  it  will  be  seen,  that  there  is  a  striking- 
analogy  between  the  pretensions  of  the  Indian  im 
postors,  and  the  miracles  wrought  by  the  prophets. 
We  have  seen,  that  tne  former  assume  the  power  of 
curing  or  inflicting  diseases  by  supernatural  means. 
We  find  the  prophets  curing  or  inflicting  the  most 
inveterate  diseases,  by  a  word,  by  a  touch,  by  wash 
ing,  and  other  means  naturally  the  most  inadequate.* 
We  have  seen  that  the  Indian  impostors  pretend  to 
foretel  drought  or  rain.  So,  Elijah  the  Tislibite 
said  to  Ahab,  "  As  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  liveth, 
before  whom  I  stand,  there  shall  not  be  dew  nor  rain 
these  years,  but  according  to  my  word.'?f  And 
again,  the  same  prophet,  when  there  was  no  appear 
ance  of  change  in  the  heavens,  said  to  the  King, 
"  Get  thee  up,  eat  and  drink,  for  there  is  a  sound  of 
abundance  of  rain."J  We  have  seen,  that  among  the 
Indians,  the  conjurers  pretend  to  inflict  punishment 
on  their  enemies  by  supernatural  means.  So  we 
read  of  a  true  prophet,  that  he  commanded  fire  to 
descend  from  heaven  and  consume  the  soldiers  who 
wrere  sent  by  the  King  of  Israel  to  take  him.^ 

But  I  wish  to  direct  your  attention  more  especially 

*  Thus  Naaman  was  cured  of  his  leprosy  by  Elishn,  and  the  same  disease 
inflicted  by  the  prophet  on  his  servant  Gehazi.     2  Kiiii  s.  v. 

f  1  King?,  xvii.  1.  *  1  King*,  xviii.  41.  $  2Khi£s.  1.  10.  12 

8 


58 

to  a  very  early  period  of  Sacred  History,  while  the 
Gentiles  had  not  yet  entirely  apostatized  from  the 
worship  of  the  true  God,  and  therefore  were  not  yet 
wholly  cut  off  from  the  patriarchal  church.  In  the 
history  of  Abraham  and  Abimelech,  we  have  an  in 
stance  of  the  power  which  prophets  possessed  of  ob 
taining  blessings  for  others.  "  Now,  therefore," 
said  God  to  Abimelech,  "  restore  the  man  his  wife  : 
for  he  is  a  prophet,  and  he  shall  pray  for  thee,  and 
thou  shall  live."*  The  same  power  is  attributed  to 
Job,  who  was  probably  a  descendant  of  Esau ;  con 
sequently,  not  one  of  the  chosen  family ;  and,  there 
fore,  a  prophet  among  the  Gentiles.  "  The  Lord 
said  to  Eliphaz  the  Temanite,  My  wrath  is  kindled 
against  thee  and  against  thy  two  friends. — There 
fore  take  unto  you  now  seven  bullocks  and  seven 
rams,  and  go  to  my  servant  Job,  and  offer  up  for 
yourselves  a  burnt-offering,  and  my  servant  Job 
shall  pray  for  you,  for  him  will  I  accept :  lest  I  deal 
with  you  after  your  folly,  "f 

Traces  of  the  same  power  are  to  be  found  in  the 
History  of  Balaam,  the  prophet  of  Midian.  When 
the  Israelites,  on  their  passage  from  Egypt,  were 
passing  through  the  country  of  Moab,  the  King  of 
the  Moabites,  alarmed  for  his  personal  safety,  sent 
for  the  prophet  to  curse  them.  "  Come  now,  there 
fore,  I  pray  thee,  curse  me  this  people,  for  they  are 

*  Gen.  xx.  7.  \  Job  xlii.  7. 8. 


59 

too  mighty  for  me ;  perad venture,  I  shall  prevail, 
that  we  may  smite  them,  and  that  I  may  drive  them 
out  of  the  land  :  for  I  wot,  that  he  whom  thou  blessest 
is  blessed,  and  he  whom  thou  cursest  is  cursed.  And 
the  elders  of  Moab,  and  the  elders  of  Midian,  de 
parted  with  the  rewards  of  divination  in  their  hand ; 
and  they  came  unto  Balaam  and  spake  unto  him  the 
words  of  Balak.  And  he  said  unto  them,  lodge 
here  this  night,  and  I  will  bring  you  word  again,  as 
Jehovah  shall  speak  unto  me. — And  God  said  unto 
Balaam,  thou  shalt  not  go  with  them ;  thou  shalt 
not  curse  the  people,  for  they  are  blessed."*  Here 
is  not  only  a  proof  of  the  power  ascribed  to  the 
prophet  by  the  nations  among  whom  he  dwelt,  but 
a"  recognition,  by  God  himself,  of  the  authority  of 
Balaam  to  bless  and  curse  in  his  name.  And  here, 
if  I  mistake  not,  we  may  observe  the  connecting 
link  between  the  power  of  true  prophets,  and  the 
arts  practised  by  the  false,  after  the  divine  influence 
was  withdrawn.  The  elders  of  Moab  and  of  Midi 
an,  it  is  said,  "  departed  with  the  rewards  of  divina 
tion  in  their  hand."  The  inference  is  inevitable, 
that  Balaam,  who  undoubtedly  had  intercourse  with 
the  true  God,  was  at  times  deprived  of  the  divine  in 
fluence,  and  that  under  a  sense  of  that  deprivation, 
he  had  recourse  to  the  arts  of  divination.  Of  this 
there  is  farther  evidence.  "  Surely,"  he  exclaims, 

*  Numb.  xxii.  6,  7,  8.  12. 


60 

in  one  of  his  sublime  prophecies,  ;i  there  is  no  en 
chantment  against  Jacob,  neither  is  there  any  divina 
tion  against  Israel."  And  it  is  subsequently  stated, 
that  "  when  Balaam  saw  that  it  pleased  the  Lord  to 
bless  Israel,  he  went  not,  as  at  other  times,  to  seek 
for  enchantments. "*  When  he  could  not  obtain  au 
thority  from  God  to  curse  Israel,  he  had  recourse,  in 
the  depravity  of  his  heart,  to  these  unhallowed  in 
cantations  ;  but  finding  that  it  was  in  vain  to  con 
tend  with  the  determination  of  the  Almighty,  he  re 
signed  himself  at  length  to  the  divine  influence,  and 
converted  his  intended  curse  into  a  blessing.  "  How 
goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob !  and  thy  tabernacles, 
O  Israel ! — Blessed  is  he  that  blesseth  thee,  and 
cursed  is  he  that  curseth  thee."f 

In  proportion,  then,  as  Idolatry  increased,  the 
prophetic  spirit  in  the  patriarchal  church  was  gra 
dually  withdrawn.  While  the  true  God  was  wor 
shipped,  even  though  in  absurd  connexion  with  Idols, 
the  divine  influence  was  sometimes  communicated. 
But  being  gradually  more  and  more  frequently  de 
nied,  the  prophets  had  recourse  to  the  superstitious 
observances  of  divination  and  judicial  astrology. 
And  as  Idolatry,  in  its  downward  course,  at  length 
lost  sight  of  the  Creator,  and  worshipped  only  the 
creatures,  so  the  prophetic  office  degenerated  into 
the  arts  by  \\hich  impostors  preyed  upon  the  super 
stition  of  the  ignorant. 

*  Numb.  xxiv.  1 .  t  Ibid,  5.  9. 


61 

I  have  now,  gentlemen,  finished  the  view  which 
I  proposed  to  take  of  the  Religion  of  the  Indians. 
I  am  sensible  that  it  is  very  imperfect,  but  enough 
has  been  said,  I  hope,  to  show  the  analogy  which  it 
bears  to  the  religion  of  the  patriarchal  ages,  and  its 
wonderful  uniformity,  when  considered  as  prevailing 
among  nations  so  remote  and  unconnected. 

It  has  already  been  observed,  however,  that  their 
religious  system  can  afford  no  clue  by  which  to 
trace  them  to  any  particular  nation  of  the  old  world. 
On  a  subject  so  obscure  as  the  origin  of  nations, 
there  is  great  danger  of  expatiating  in  conjectures. 
In  fact,  the  view  here  taken,  in  some  measure  cuts 
off  these  conjectures,  by  tracing  the  Aborigines  of 
America,  to  a  higher  source  than  has  usually  been 
assigned  to  them.  If  the  opinion  I  have  advanced 
be  true,  it  will,  I  think,  appear  rational  to  believe, 
that  the  Indians  are  a  primitive  people  ; — that,  like 
the  Chinese,  they  must  have  been  among  the  earliest 
emigrants  of  the  descendants  of  Noah  ; — that,  like 
that  singular  nation,  they  advanced  so  far  beyond 
the  circle  of  human  society,  as  to  become  entirely 
separated  from  all  other  men; — and  that,  in  this  way, 
they  preserved  a  more  distinct  and  homogeneous 
character  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  other  portion 
of  the  Globe.  Whether  they  came  immediately  to 
this  western  continent,  or  whether  they  arrived  here 
by  gradual  progression,  can  never  be  ascertained, 
and  is,  in  fact,  an  inquiry  of  little  moment.  It  is 


probable,  however,  that,  like  the  Northern  hordes 
who  descended  upon  Europe,  and  who  constituted 
the  basis  of  its  present  population,  their  numbers 
were  great ;  and  that  from  one  vast  reservoir,  they 
flowed  onward  in  successive  surges,  wave  impelling 
wave,  till  they  had  covered  the  whole  extent  of  this 
vast  continent.  At  least,  this  hypothesis  may  ac 
count  for  the  uniform  character  of  their  religion, 
and  for  the  singular  fact  which  has  lately  been  illus 
trated  by  a  learned  member  of  the  American  Philo 
sophical  Society,  that  their  languages  form  a  sepa 
rate  class  in  human  speech,  and  that,  in  their  plans 
of  thought,  the  same  system  extends  from  the  coasts 
of  Labrador  to  the  extremity  of  Cape  Horn.* 

But,  turning  from  speculations  which  are  ren 
dered  sublime  by  their  shadowy  form,  and  immeasu 
rable  magnitude,  t  shall  conclude  a  discourse  which, 
I  fear,  has  become  already  tedious,  by  remarks  of  a 
more  practical,  and,  I  would  hope,  of  a  more  useful 
nature. 

"\ye  have  seen  that,  like  all  other  nations  unblessed 
with  the  light  T)f  Christianity,  the  Indians  are  idola- 
tors  ;  but  their  idolatry  is  of  the  mildest  character, 
and  has  departed  less  than  among  any  other  people 
from  the  form  of  primeval  truth. — Their  belief  in  a 
future  state  is  clear  and  distinct,  debased  only  by 

*  See  Note  M~. 


63 

those  corporeal  associations  which  proceed  from  the 
constitutional  operations  of  our  nature,  and  from 
which  even  Christians,  therefore,  are  not  totally  ex 
empt — They  retain  among  them  the  great  principle 
of  expiation  for  sin,  without  which  all  religion  would 
be  unavailing — And  they  acknowledge,  in  all  the 
common  occurrences  of  life,  and  even  in  their  very 
superstitions,  the  overruling  power  of  Divine  Provi 
dence,  to  which  they  are  accustomed  to  look  up 
with  an  implicit  confidence,  which  might  often  put 
to  shame  the  disciples  of  a  purer  faith. 

Provided,  then,  that  their  suspicions  respecting- 
every  gift  bestowed  by  the  hands  of  white  men,  can 
be  overcome,  the  comparative  purity  of  their  reli 
gion  renders  it  so  much  the  easier  to  propagate 
among  them  the  Gospel  of  Salvation.*  In  this  view, 
is  it  possible  for  the  benevolent  heart  to  restrain  the 
rising  wish,  that  the  scanty  remnant  of  this  unfortu 
nate  race  may  be  brought  within  the  verge  of  civi-8 
lized  life,  and  made  to  feel  the  influence,  the  cheer 
ing  and  benign  influence,  of  Christianity  ?  Is  it  not 
to  be  wished,  that  the  God  whom  they  ignorantly 
worship,  may  be  declared  to  them,  and  that,  toge 
ther  with  the  practices  they  have  so  long  preserved., 
may  be  united  that  doctrine  which  alone  can  illu 
mine  what  is  obscure,  and  unravel  what  is  intricate  ? 
If  this  be  desirable,  it  must  be  done  quickly,  or  the 


64 

opportunity  will  be  for  ever  lost.  Should  our  pre 
judices  prevent  it,  we  must  remember  that  their 
faults  will  be  obscured,  and  their  virtues  brightened, 
by  the  tints  of  time.  Posterity  will  think  of  them, 
more  in  pity  than  in  anger,  and  will  blame  us  for  the 
little  regard  which  has  been  paid  to  their  welfare. 

Hapless  nations !— -Like  the  mists  which  are  ex 
haled  by  the  scorching  radiance  of  your  summer's 
sun,  ye  are  fast  disappearing  from  the  earth.  But 
there  is  a  Great  Spirit  above,  who,  though  for  wise 
purposes  he  causes  you  to  disappear  from  the  earth, 
still  extends  his  protecting  care  to  you,  as  well  as  to 
the  rest  of  his  creatures. — There  is  a  country  of 
Souls,  a  happier,  and  better  country,  which  will  be 
opened,  we  may  charitably  hope,  to  you,  as  well  as 
to  the  other  children  of  Adam. — There  is  the  ato 
ning  blood  of  the  Redeemer,  which  was  shed  for 
you,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  mankind  ;  the  efficacy  of 
which,  you  have  unwittingly  continued  to  plead  ;  and 
which  may  be  extended,  in  its  salutary  influence, 
even  to  those  who  have  never  called  on,  because  they 
have  never  heard,  THE  NAME  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NOTE  A. 

Thus,  Hearne  says,  "  Religion  has  not  as  yet  begun  to  dawn  among  the 
Northern  Indians — I  never  found  any  of  them  that  had  the  least  idea  of  futu 
rity."  "  Matonabbee,  a  man  of  as  clear  ideas  in  other  matters  as  any  that  I 
ever  saw,  always  declared  to  me,  that  neither  he,  nor  any  of  his  country 
men,  had  an  idea  of  a  future  state."  Journey  to  the  Northern  Ocean.  Dub 
lin,  179G,  8vo.  p.  343 — 4.  Yet  Mackenzie  affirms,  that  they  believe  IE  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  and  gives  a  very  particular  account 
of  their  belief.  "  They  are,"  he  says,  "  superstitious  in  the  extreme.  I  ne 
ver  observed  that  they  had  any  particular  form  of  religious  worship ;  4fout  as 
they  believe  in  a  good  and  evil  spirit,  and  a  state  of  future  rewards  and  pu 
nishments,  they  cannot  be  devoid  of  religious  impressions.  At  the  same 
time,  they  manifest  a  decided  unwillingness  to  make  any  communications  on  the 
subject."  This  last  fact  will  account  for  the  declaration  of  Matonabbee ; 
and  also  for  the  concealment  of  their  forms  of  worship  from  the  view  of 
Mackenzie.  Mackenzie,  Gen.  Hist.  8vo.  vol.  1.  p.  145.  156.  Mackenzie  cor 
rects  several  other  erroneous  statements  made  by  Hearne. 

Colden,  speaking  of  the  five  nations,  says  :  "  It  is  certain  they  have  no 
kind  of  public  worship,  and  I  am  told  they  have  no  radical  word  to  express 
God,  but  use  a  compound  word,  signifying  the  Preserver,  Sustainer,  or  Mas 
ter  of  the  Universe  j  neither  could  I  ever  learn  what  sentiments  they  have  of 
at  future  existence."  Colden,  Introduction  to  Hist,  of  Five  Indian  Nations 
of  Canada,  p.  15.  On  the  other  hand,  Charlevoix  assures  us,  that  "  parmi 
ces  peuples,  qu'on  a  pretendu  n'avoir  aucune  idee  de  religion,  ni  de  Divi- 
nite,  presque  tout  paroit  1'objet  d'un  culte  religieux,  ou  du  moins  y  avoir 
quelque  rapport."  Journal,  p.  348.  And  Heckewelder  affirms,  that  "  Ha 
bitual  devotion  to  the  Great  First  Cause,  and  a  strong  feeling  of  gratitude  for. 
the  benefits  which  He  confers,  is  one  of  the  prominent  traits  which  charac 
terize  the  mind  of  the  untutored  Indian."  Hist.  Ace.  p.  84.  "  Another  dif 
ficulty  I  had  to  encounter,"  says  Adair,  "  was  the  secrecy  and  closeness  of  the 
Indians  as  to  their  own  affairs,  and  their  prying  disposition  into  those  of 
others."  Adair,  N.  Am.  Indians,  preface.  The  testimony  of  so  respectable 
»  writer  as  Colden  would  have  great  weight,  if  he.  had  spoken  from  his  own 

9 


66 

personal  knowledge ;  but  be  confessedly  derived  his  opinions  of  the  Indian 
character  from  the  testimony  of  others.  What  he  has  said,  therefore,  can 
not  avail  against  the  united  testimony  of  Charlevoix,  Adair,  and  Heckewel- 
der. 

NOTE  B. 

"  Gomara  et  Jean  De  Lery  font  descendre  tous  les  Ameriquains  des  Ca- 
naneens  chasses  de  la  terre  promise  par  Josue." — Charlevoix,  Dissertation 
sur  Forigine'  des  Ameriquains,  prefixed  to  his  Journal  d'un  Voyage,  &c. 
Histoire  de  la  Nouvelle  France,  torn.  3.  p.  4.  Paris,  1744,  4to. 

"  Lescarbot  panche  un  peu  plus  vers  le  sentiment  de  ceux  qui  oat  trans- 
porte  dans  le  Nouveau  Monde  les  Cananeens  chasses  de  la  terre  promise  par 
Josue.  II  y  trouve  an  moins  quelque  vraisemblance  en  ce  que  ces  peuples, 
aussi  bicn  que  les  Ameriquains,  avoient  la  coutume  de  faire  sauter  leurs  en- 
fans  par-dessus  le  feu,  en  invoquant  leurs  idoles,  et  de  manger  la  chair 
humaine."  Ibid,  p.  10. 

"  En  1642.  Grotius  publia  un  petit  ouvrage  in-quarto  sous  ce  titre  :  De 
origme  gentium  Jlmericanarum. — Si  on  en  croit  le  docte  Hollandois,  a. 
T'exception  de  1'Yucatan,  et  de  quelques  autres  provinces  voisines,  dont  il 
fait  une  classe  a  part,  toute  FAmerique  Septentrionnale  a  etc  peuple  par  les 
Norvegiens. — Ce  qui  Foblige  de  mettre  a  part  1'Yucatan,  c'est  1'usage  de  la 
Circoncision,  dont  il  s'est  mis  dans  la  tete  qu'on  a  trouve  des  traces  dans 
cette  province,  et  une  pretendue  tradition  ancienne  des  habitans,  qui  portoit, 
que  leurs  aricctres  avoient  ete  sauves  des  flots  de  la  mer  ;  ce  qui  a  fait  croire 
a  quelques-uns,  ajoute-t'-il,  qu'ils  etoientfissus  des  Hebreux.  II  refute  neans- 
moins  cette  opinion,  avec  les  memes  argumens  a  peu  pros  dont  s'est  servi 
Breverood,  (Breerwood,)  et  il  estime,  avec  Dom  Pierre  Martyr  d'Anglerie, 
que  les  premiers  qui  peuplerent  1'Yucatan,  furent  des  Ethiopiens  jettes  sur 
cette  cote  par  une  tempete,  ou  par  quelque  autre  accident.  II  juge  meme 
que  ces  Ethiopiens  etoient  Chretiens,  ce  qu'il  infere  d'une  espece  de  Bap- 
teme  usite  dans  le  pays." — Ibid.  p.  12, 13. 

In  this  dissertation,  Charlevoix,  has  given  a  very  judicious  and  interest 
ing  summary  of  the  several  theories,  which  had  been  formed,  at  the  time 
he  wrote,  respecting  the  peopling  of  America.  As  the  writings  of  their  re 
spective  authors  are  mentioned  in  chronological  order,  it  may  be  called,  in 
fact,  the  annals  of  these  opinions,  up  to  the  date  of  his  work :  (1744.)  In 
contemplating  their  extravagance  and  inconsistency,  we  scarcely  know 
whether  to  smile  or  to  mourn  most,  at  these  results  of  learned  imagination. 

In  1767,  was  published  at  Amsterdam,  a  French  work,  entitled,  "  Essai 
sur  cette  question,  quand  et  comment  FAmerique  a-t-elle  ete  peuplee 
d'homnaes  et  d/aniraaux?  parE,  B,  d'E."  The  author  professes  respect 


67 

for  religion ;  but  he  is  either  an  Infidel  in  disguise," or  a  very  sorry  Christian  ; 
and  he  has  a  smattering  oflearning,  jnst  extensive  and  superficial  enough,  to 
intoxicate  the  brain.  He  maintains,  that  the  deluge  was  of  very  limited 
extent ;  that  the  Chinese  and  the  Scythians  are  the  descendants  of  Abel  j 
that  the  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians  are  the  posterity  of  Cain  ;  that  the  Negro 
complexion  was  the  stigma  of  his  punishment ;  that  the  Greeks,  Thracians, 
Celts,  and  ancient  inhabitants  of  Italy,  were  Antediluvians ;  and  hence,  he 
concludes,  that  the  Aborigines  of  America  are  derived  from  as  high  an  origin. 
For  the  establishment  of  this  theory,  which  occupies  a  quarto  volume  of 
COO  pages,  he  has  formed  a  vast  apparatus  of  astronomy  and  geology,  of 
history  and  philology,  in  which  the  wrecks  of  every  thing  that  had  been 
considered  by  the  learned  as  established,  and  no  longer  controvertible,  ap 
pear  "  nantes  in  gurgite  vasto." 

In  1810,  the  excellently  learned  professor  Vater  published  at  Leipzig  his 
"  Inquiry  on  the  origin  of  the  American  population,"  in  which  he  minutely 
considers  every  hypothesis  that  has  ever  been  formed  or  maintained  on  this 
interesting  subject.  It  will  doubtless  give  pleasure  to  the  public,  to  be  in 
formed,  that  Mr.  Duponceau  is  now  engaged  in  translating  this  valuable 
work,  which  is  undoubtedly  the  best  that  has  ever  been  written  on  the  subject. 

NOTE  C. 

I  have  excluded  the  Karalit,  because  it  is  generally  admitted,  that 
the  Esquimaux  derive  their  origin  from  Groenland,  and  are  a  distinct 
race  from  all  the  other  inhabitants  of  this  continent.  "  In  all  the 
North  American  territories,"  says  Heckewelder,  "bounded  to  the  North 
and  East  by  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and  to  the  South  and  West  by  the  river 
Mississippi,  and  the  possessions  of  the  English  Hudson's  Bay  Company, 
there  appear  to  be  but  four  principal  languages;  branching  out,  it  is  true, 
into  various  dialects,  but  all  derived  from  one  or  the  other  of  the  four  mo 
ther  tongues,  some  of  which  extend  even  beyond  the  Mississippi,  and  per 
haps  as  far  as  the  rocky  mountains.  These  four  languages  are,  1.  The  Kara!  it. 
2.  The  Iroquois.  3.  The  Lenape.  4.  The  Floridian.  Mr.  Duponceau  has 
mentioned,  in  his  report  prefixed  to  Mr.  Heckewelder's  history,  that  the 
language  of  the  Oscrges  has  been  found,  from  a  vocabulary  by  Dr.  Murray 
of  Louisville,  to  be  a  dialect  of  the  Iroquois.  "  By  means  of  this  vocabula 
ry,"  says  he,  "  we  have  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  wide-spread  extent  of 
the  family  of  Indian  nations  of  Iroquois  origin,  which,  not  long  ago,  were 
thought  to  exist  only  in  the  vicinity  of  the  great  lakes,  while  we  are  enabled 
to  trace  them  even  to  the  banks  of  the  Missouri."  p.  xxxvii. 

Charlevoix  and  Loskiel  give  substantially  the  same  account.  "  Dans  cette 
etendue  de  pays,"  says  the  former,  "  qu'on  appelle  proprement  la  Nouvelle 


68 

France,  qui  n'a  de  bornes  au  nord  que  du  cote  de  la  baye  de  Hudson,  qui 
n'en  a  point  d'autre  a  Test  que  la  mer,  les  colonies  Angloises  au  sud,  la 
Louysiane  an  sud-est,  et  les  terres  des  Espagnols  a  1'ouest ;  dans  cette  etendue 
dis-je,  de  pays,  il  n'y  a  que  trois  langues-raeres  dont  toutes  les  autres  sont 
derivees.  Ces  langues  sont,  la  Siouse,  1'Algonquine,  et  la  Huronne."  Jour 
nal,  p.  183.  The  Huron,  is  the  same  with  the  Iroquois ;  and  the  Algonquin, 
only  another  name  for  the  Lenape  or  Delaware.  With  regard  to  the  third 
language  (la  Siouse)  Charlevoix  confesses  he  knew  little  or  nothing. 

"  It  appears  very  probable,"  says  Loskiel,  "  that  the  Delaware  and  Iroquois 
are  the  principal  languages  spoken  throughout  the  known  part  of  North 
America,  Terra  Labrador  excepted,  and  that  all  others  are  dialects  of  them. 
Our  missionaries  at  least,  who  were  particularly  attentive  to  this  subject, 
have  never  met  with  any  which  had  not  some  similitude  with  either  one 
or  the  other  :  But  the  Delaware  language  bears  no  resemblance  to  the  Iro 
quois."  Hist,  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren  among  the  Indians  of 
North  America,  part  1.  ch.  2.  p.  18.  Lond.  1794,  8vo. 

We  have  no  reason,  I  think,  to  doubt  the  statement  of  the  Roman  and  Mo 
ravian  missionaries,  who  have  made  these  languages  their  study,  and  who  had 
no  object  in  attempting  to  trace  affinities  where  none  existed.  In  the  state 
ments  of  Charlevoix  and  Hecke welder,  the  Spanish  territories  are  cautiously 
excluded ;  doubtless  because  of  the  great  number  of  radical  languages  Avhich 
are  said  to  exist  there.  For  the  same  reason,  in  Loskiel's  account,  the  term 
North  America  is  to  be  understood  in  contradistinction  to  Middle,  as  well 
as  South  America ;  since  the  Moravian  missionaries  could  hare  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  Indian  languages  within  the  Spanish  dominions. — I  wish 
to  be  understood  as  speaking  with  the  same  reservation ;  on  account  of  the 
express  testimony  given  to  this  surprising  fact  by  the  most  respectable  wit 
nesses.  "  Le  nombre  de  ces  langues,"  says  the  Baron  Von  Humboldt, 
speaking  of  the  languages  of  Mexico,  "  est  au  deli\  de  vingt,  dont  quatorze 
ont  dejti  des  grammaires  et  des  dictionnaires  assez  complets."  After  enu 
merating  them,  he  proceeds  to  observe,  "  II  paroit  que  la  plupart  de  ces 
langues,  loin  d'etres  des  dialectes  d'une  seule.  (comme  quelques  auteurs  1'ont 
faussement  avance,)  sont  au  moins  aussi  diffcrerites  les  unes  des  autres  que 
Test  le  Grec  de  I'Allemand,  ou  le  Francois  du  Polonois:  c'est  du  moins  le  cas 
des  sept  langues  de  la  Nonvelle-Espagne,  dont  je  possede  les  vocabulaires. 
Celie  varietd  d'idiomes  que,  parlent  lespeuples  du  Nouveau  Continent,  et  que, 
sans  la  moindre  exageration  ON  PEUT  PORTER  A  PLUSIEUKS  CENTAINES,  pr6- 
smte  un  phtnomtne  bienfrappani,  suttout  si  on  les  compare  an  pen  de  langues 
qiCoffrf.nl  I'Asic  et  V  Europe."  Essai  politique  stir  le  Royaume  de  Nouvelle 
Espagne,  torn.  1.  p.  378.  Paris,  1811.  Svo. 

It  is,  indeed,  a  striking  phenomenon  ;  and  it  becomes  still  more  so  ivhen 
Compared  with  the  fact)  that  in  the  United  States  and  British  America,  there  art 


69 

only  four  radical  languages,  even  including  the  language  of  Greenland.  It, 
however,  it  should  be  true,  as  Humboldt  thinks,  that  there  are  several 
hundreds  of  primitive  American  languages,  it  would  only  afford  stronger 
proof  of  the  truth  of  the  position,  in  support  of  which  the  existence  of 
three  radical  languages  has  been  mentioned  ;  namely,  that  the  Indians  arc 
not  the  descendants  of  the  twelve  tribes. 

I  feel  very  great  diffidence  in  appearing  to  call  in  question  so  high  an  au 
thority,  yet  I  cannot  help  suggesting  the  probability,  that  the  more  our  know 
ledge  of  Indian  languages  is  extended,  the  greater  will  be  the  affinities  we 
shall  discover;  and  that  many  will  be  found  to  be  related,  which  are  now 
ronsidered  as  totally  distinct. 

Even  in  written  language,  to  trace  etymologies  is,  in  many  cases,  a  diffi 
cult  task;  and  requires  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  philosophy  of  human 
speech.  But  this  difficulty  is  immeasurably  increased,  when  languages  are 
merely  oral,  and  are  represented  in  foreign  characters,  not  by  the  natives 
themselves,  but  by  persons  who  are  often  ignorant  of  all  other  tongues  but 
their  own,  who  are  confessedly  unacquainted  with  that  which  they  endea 
vour  to  wrrite,  and  whose  power  of  discriminating  sounds  is  not  always  the 
most  acute. 

When  a  language  is  written,  the  writing  continues  unaltered  through  all 
the  changes  of  pronunciation  ;  when  it  is  only  spoken,  the  deviations  from 
the  original  become  rapid  and  various,  in  proportion  as  the  imperfections 
are  more  or  less  extensive,  of  the  bodily  organs  and  the  mental  faculties. 

As,  therefore,  languages  merely  oral  tend  inevitably  to  corruption,  so  the 
attempts  made  to  reduce  them  to  writiag,  are  subject  to  corresponding  im 
perfections.  The  alphabets  in  which  they  are  represented,  may  vary  in 
themselves,  and  be  severally  incompetent  to  convey  an  exact  idea  of  their 
powers.  Persons  who  use  the  same  alphabet  may  employ  different  com 
binations  of  letters  to  represent  the  same  sounds.  "  I  have  frequently 
found,"  says  the  celebrated  circumnavigator,  Captain  Cook,  "  that  the 
same  words,  written  down  by  two  or  more  persons  from  the  mouth  of  the 
same  native,  on  being  compared  together,  differed  not  a  little."  Voyages, 
vol.2,  p.  521.  Lond.  1785.  4to.  And  even  if  the  sounds  be  perfectly  re 
presented,  we  know,  from  our  own  experience,  the  confusion,  with  regard 
to  etymology,  which  would  arise  from  making  pronunciation  the  standard 
of  orthography.  The  anomalies  of  English  pronunciation  are  so  great,  that 
if  we  were  to  write  it  as  it  is  spoken,  to  trace  its  etymologies  would  re 
quire  the  powers  of  an  (Edipus. 

Under  such  disadvantages,  we  certainly  ought  to  be  cautious  not  to  form 
hasty  opinions  with  regard  to  the  affinities  of  Indian  languages.  Our 
means  of  information  are,  at  present,  too  limited,  and  we  must  patiently 
wait  the  result  of  those  inquiries,  which,  though  commenced  too  late,  have, 


70 

at  length,  been  happily  begun  by  the  American  Philosophical  Society.  The 
collection  of  information  from  distant  and  independent  sources,  will  lead, 
by  a  gradual  approximation,  to  the  most  accurate  results  ;  and  we  shall 
probably  be  able  to  apply  to  the  subject,  the  remarks  of  the  great  lexico 
grapher  of  our  language,  that  in  proportion  "  as  books  are  multiplied,  the 
various  dialects  of  the  same  country  will  always  be  observed  to  grow  fewer 
and  less  different." 

Perhaps  I  ought  not  fo  dismiss  this  subject  without  observing,  that  Mr. 
Jefferson  long  ago  made  the  same  remark  as  M.  Von  Humboldt,  with  re 
gard  to  the  great  number  of  American  languages,  in  his  Notes  on  Virginia, 
"  Arranging  them,"  says  he,  "  under  the  radical  ones  to  which  they  may 
be  palpably  traced  ;  and  doing  the  same  by  those  of  the  red  men  of  Asia, 
there  will  be  found,  probably,  twenty  in  America  for  one  in  Asia,  of  those 
radical  languages,  so  called,  because,  if  they  were  ever  the  same,  they  have 
lost  all  resemblance  to  ons  another.  A  separation  into  dialects  may  be  the 
work  of  a  few  ages  only,  but  for  two  dialects  to  recede  from  one  another 
till  they  have  lost  all  vestiges  of  their  common  origin,  must  require  an  im 
mense  course  of  time  ;  perhaps,  not  less  than  many  people  give  to  the  age 
of  the  earth.  A  greater  number  of  those  radical  changes  of  language  having 
taken  place  among  the  red  men  of  America,  proves  them  of  greater  antiqui 
ty  than  those  of  Asia." — Notes  on  Virginia,  Query  11.  Aborigines. 

The  acute  and  scientific  author  might  have  contented  himself  with  stating 
the  fact,  and  have  spared  the  slur  upon  Revelation.  It  is  by  no  means  certain, 
that  the  same  phenomenon  does  not  exist  in  Asia.  The  languages  spoken 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  Caucasian  mountains,  have  little 
more  in  common  than  their  geographical  situation.  "  Except  the  Armenian 
and  Georgian,"  say  the  Quarterly  Reviewers  after  Adelung,  "  they  are  scarcely 
evtr  employed  in  writing  ;  and,  principally  perhaps  from  this  cause,  they  ex 
hibit  as  great  a  diversity  in  the  space  of  a  few  square  miles,  as  those  of  many  other 
nations  do, in  as  many  thousands."  Q.  R .  vol .  x.  p.  285.  Rev.  of  the  M  ithridates. 
But  admitting  that  it  is  confined  to  America,  is  there  no  way  of  solving 
the  difficulty,  but  by  attacking  the  Scriptures  ?  And  if  it  be  inexplicable,  shall 
we  surrender  all  the  stupendous  evidences  of  Divine  Revelation,  because  we 
are  unable  to  account  for  a  fact  which  is  comparatively  insignificant  ?  This 
is  a  kind  of  minute  philosophy,  unworthy  of  so  distinguished  a  name,  which 
can  be  compared  only  to  the  calculations  of  the  Canon  Recupero  in  Bry- 
done,  who  sought  to  determine  the  world's  age  by  enumerating  the  lavas  of 
JEtna. 

NOTE  D. 

There  maybe  an  affinity  among  languages  in  two  ways;  in  etymology. 
end  in  grammatical  construction.  Where  there  are  etymological  affini- 


71 


ties,  there  will  of  course  be  a  similarity  in  grammatical  forms.  On  the 
other  hand,  languages  may  be  entirely  different  as  to  etymology,  and  yet 
similar  in  grammatical  construction.  The  question,  with  regard  to  the  de 
scent  of  the  Indians  from  the  Hebrews,  must  rest  upon  both  these  affinities ; 
for  although  resemblances  in  grammatical  construction  will  not  prove  a 
common  origin,  yet  differences  in  grammar  afford  the  strongest  evidence  of 
the  converse  of  the  proposition. 

ETYMOLOGY. 

TABLE  I. — Delaware,  and  Iroquois  words  of  the.  Onondago  dialectt 
from  Zeisbefger. 


Lenap6  or  Delaware. 

Iroquois,  (Onond. 
dialect.) 

Hebrew. 

GOD, 

Patamawos, 

Nioh, 

Elohim, 

asrrbx 

SPIRIT, 

Mannitto, 

Otcon, 

Ruach, 

mi 

MAN, 

Lenno, 

Etschinak, 

Ish, 

wx 

WOMAN, 

Ochqueu, 

Echro, 

Isha, 

ncrzc 

To  DIE, 

An  gel  n, 

Yaiche-ye,      > 
Yawo-he-ye,  £ 

Mut-th, 

mn 

To  EAT, 

Mitzin, 

Wauntec6ni, 

Achal, 

b3X 

FLESH, 

Oyos, 

Owachra, 

Ba-sar, 

*i^i 

FISH, 

Namaes, 

Otsch56nta, 

Dag, 

2f 

BONE, 

Wochgan, 

Qschtiehnta,* 

Nge-tsem, 

t3XJ3> 

A  CHILD, 

Amemens, 

Ixhaa, 

ISangar, 

1W 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  make  some  remarks  upon  the  pronunciation  of  this 
and  the  following  specimens,  [n  Zeisberger's  vocabulary,  the  powers  of 
the  German  Alphabet  are  employed  to  express  the  pronunciation  of  Indian 
words.  Cfi  has  the  guttural  sound  of  the  Greek  X.  When  the  consonants 
are  doubled,  it  is  merely  to  denote  that  the  preceding  vowel  is  short,  as  a  in 
wan.  /andj  before  a  vowel  have  the  power  of  y  which  I  have  therefore 
in  most  cases  taken  the  liberty  to  substitute.  Sch  is  equivalent  to  the  English 
sh.  The  apostrophe  after  n  k  and  s  denotes  the  contraction  of  a  vowel,  as 
n'pommauchsi,  for  ni  pommauchsi.  Que  and  ke  differ ;  the  former  being  pro 
nounced  like  kwe.  W  before  a  vowel,  as  in  English.  In  representing  the 
Hebrew  in  English  letters,  I  have  followed  the  points,  which  give,  I  am  in 
clined  to  believe,  the  traditional  representation  of  the  original  vowel  sounds. 
These  remarks  will  apply  to  all  the  specimens,  excepting  those  from  Adair, 
•f  which  I  can  say  nothing. 


*  Cherokee,  K£ra,  according  to  Man: 


72 


***"  2    3    ^.  C-  Q-  _- 

Y  £-2  £».  ^  p> 
I  ;=:' 


<    . 

3     -^  s 


~          -     - 


H-ooaQtaj^z 


w  »  ^TS"5  —  51  o  o  ro 

O    7?  °    2    3    —  ff    S"  J<5  ^3 

o  *•  o  o  5,  p.J3  «.  p^-  a- 


^*   Cf        *  ^* 


73 


3d  per. 


II 


1  1 

P         C   o 


2d  per. 


l 

X  X 


1st  per. 


S   S 
O  J" 

I 


" 


!>$ 

R3^ 

a  «>  <* 

W3S 


B         • 

211 

til 

a  ^  ^* 

Hi 


•7 


H 


rt? 

s-« 


a-1^ 
§  ^ 


Sbl 

B-.& 


I 


10 


3d  pers. 

2dp. 

1st  per. 

HH              HH 

~   K                   S3 

?? 

'oo^ 

MM               to  w 

G    «3 

W     ?d    ^ 

3*           -3* 

3d  " 

^ 

V>             §  § 

0                           BT 

3" 

5. 

3                           0 

s* 

C~                        3 

IS 

o? 

1            1 

1 

•P 

i 

1 

3 

<tCTQ         <"t  "t  <    <    3-3* 

CfqC         3-  3"  S    ts    =    3 

P-    |l|f|{ 

1} 

r*  <"^"*^    C 
^  To    P    3 

-:fii 
j'§  g-. 

{ 

o 
o 

3 

cS" 

<*              3 

w 

tt  ""            3 

P 

«T               ca 

•**                ijQ 

1^ 

ere 

E 

s. 

0 

«• 

» 

& 

ere                     i       t 

0                           S         3- 
5|                             &*        B 

S-                5  c  ^ 

1 

E 

c 

3 

C 
P 

I 

S- 

Ji     "' 

«i 

g 

2 

3 

2 

pc^ 

CD 

P~ 

1 

C 

1 

1 

s 

| 

3 
P 

c 

SJ 
P 

3 

* 

Inseparable, 

1- 

3"  3*                           3*  cr 
|g                            || 

P   P 

Is 

3    PJ    P 
ggg 

rs-- 

Cr*  ^                               p 

s~  ^ 

«?  = 

-=r 

O"  g 

B- 

c?" 

l^           33 

Tl 

^i 

1 

3"                                     3" 

3-3- 

3 
C 

1 

" 

SI 

2 
s: 

-^                                     0 

vS 

d 

• 

75 


II.  Example  of  a  Noun  in  the  Lenapt,  or  Delaware,  with  the  Inseparable  Pro 
nouns,  from  Heckewelder's  Correspondence,  Let.  XXI.  (Transac.  ut  sup.  p, 
426.)  compared  with  the  Hebrew. 


FATHER.    Delaware,  OOCH.*    Hebrew,  AB,  ax. 


My  Father, 

Nooch, 

Abl,                                                     »ax 

Thy  Father, 

Kooch, 

Abicha,  (m.)  Abicb,  (f.)                 -pax 

His  Father, 

Oochwall, 

Ablv,  or  Abihu,                     IJTSX  vax 

Her  Father, 

Oochwall, 

Abiha,                                                nsax 

Our  Father, 

Nochena, 

Ablnu,                                              13sax 

Your  Father, 

Kochuwa, 

Abichem,  (m.)  Abichen,  (f.)  J  m  V^J 

Their  Father, 

Ochuwawall, 

Abihem,  (m.)  Abihen,  (f.)     5  ™  •DJr>** 

In  Delaware,  the  pronoun  is  sometimes  prefixed  and  sometimes  suffixed . 
In  Hebrew,  it  is  uniformly  suffixed. 

According  to  Adair,  my  father  is,  in  Chickasaw  dngge,  in  Cherokee  Me- 
tohta  ;  your  father,  Chickasaw  Chinge,  Cherokee  Chatokta.  My  mother, 
Chickasaw  Saske,  Cherokee  Machee  ;  your  mother,  Chickasaw,  Chishke, 
Cherokee  Chacheeah. 

*  Ooch  is  the  abstract  word.  "  Wetoochwink,"  the  father,  is  commonly 
used,  because  there  are  few  occasions  of  using  this  word  in  iht  abstract  seme. 


76 


III.  Example  of  ike  Verb  To  LOVE,  in  the  Lenapi  or  Delaware,  and  Iroquou- 
compared  with  the  Hebrew. 

Under  the  general  name  of  Iroquois,  I  have  given  the  Onondago  verb 
from  Zeisberger,  and  the  Mohawk,  which  I  wrote  down  in  Albany,  in  the 
year  1817,  trom  the  mouth  of  Mr.  Eleazar  Williams,  a  son  of  one  of  th« 
chiefs  of  the  Oneida  nation,  who  is  now  a  candidate  for  Holy  Orders,  and  a 
lay  reader  and  catechist  among  the  Oneidas.  Mr.  Williams  has  received  a 
very  good  education ;  is  acquainted  with  Greek  and  Latin ;  and  speak? 
French  fluently.  He  assured  me,  that  the  Mohawk  was  the  pure,  or  mother 
tongue,  which  was  understood  by  all  the  five  nations ;  but  that  each  had  a 
dialect  of  its  own.  An  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  this  statement,  was 
afforded  me  by  an  interview  which  I  had  with  several  chiefs  of  the  Onon 
dago  tribe,  who  were  at  Albany  transacting  some  business  with  the  governor. 
6n  that  occasion  1  read  the  general  confession  in  our  liturgy  ;  after  which 
Mr.  Williams  translated  it  for  them,  and  then  proceeded  to  read  in  the  Mo 
hawk,  the  prayer  for  all  conditions  of  men.  In  looking  over  it,  as  he  read, 
I  perceived  that  the  vowels  had  the  full  Italian  sounds,  excepting  a,  pro- 
tiounced  like  aw ;  that  the  nasal  sounds  an,  on,  &c.  were  exactly  like  the 
French  j  and  that  the  guttural  sounds  were  like  those  of  the  Oriental  lan 
guages.  I  observed,  likewise,  that  the  accent  was  chiefly  on  the  ultimate 
and  penultimate.  I  ventured,  therefore,  to  read  a  portion  of  the  prayers 
and  hymns,  and  succeeded  so  well  that  they  understood  me,  and  expressed 
their  surprise  and  pleasure.  This  is  a  proof,  not  only  of  the  ease  with  which 
a  correct  pronunciation  might  be  acquired,  but  also  of  the  fact,  that  the 
Onondagoes  understand  the  Mohawk,  though  they  have  a  dialect  which  dif 
fers  from  it  considerably,  as  will  appear  from  the  verb  here  exhibited  from 
Zeisberger 


Q 


5       csa 
S       SJJ 

*      <  | 

g  CD    » 

° 


-rt> 

» 


?? 


p 


53?   ?   5- 


il 

l|l 

ll 


- 


*  '     3  o         '  ' 


--« 


O-  ft-  .. 
63    3    3 

III 

1§^ 


li 


CS^  (t^  Q^  CO- 

3    3_  3  3^ 

3^3  § 

PS    p    O-  Cs 

333  3 

5*  2"  i  I 

C/3      C/3      ^  S^ 

CD  fc  ^^  r^ 
ct-o- 


ffi  .  ffiffi 


3    3 

1&1 

^i- 

!i 


-j  2  o 

IP 


tzsi 


3  ?  §  5  g  § 


H  ^ 

a  o 

a  d 

2  ^ 

3  2 


H     - 


f 


g.^' 


5^0-0^ 

in  i ; 

Hit- 


CC  R 

J  CD 

I  & 

1  I 

2  2 


rochqudsquee 
orochquasqu 
ret  in  Zeisb 


•    H-2  •=  n  a       =-s" 

: ftlfi-  fit 


ndag 


J> .    Ps  ^ 
o  .    P  P 

f:|| 

p   .     o  re 


s| 

s^ 


75  Z 

O-  Cu 

p  P^ 

I  I 

cT  CD 

V  *3 


*T      y      p 


U  U  U  U  U      U      U 

n  ^  ^  n  n    n    u 
s:  55  x  a:  %    x    x 


79 


THOU  SHALT  OR  MUST 
LOVE, 

HE  SHALL  OR  MUST  L. 

SHE  SHALL  OR  MUST  L. 

YE  SHALL  OR  MUST  L.  • 

THEY  SHALL  OR  MUST  L. 

(fern.} 

•  Vll>1"v 
LET  THEM  LOVE, 
(fern.) 
Irapers.  Qu'ort^'me, 

LET  HIM  LOVE, 
LET  HER  LOVE, 
LOVE  YE,  (masc.) 

fC~™  \ 

LOVE  THOU,  (masc.) 

/T^w,  \ 

_     .      -  - 

££». 

0!  Q  &  . 

re2 

3   °   S- 

1   3    3    . 

3 

3  c;  5"  ! 

g    3    3    ' 

O 

53 

|  o  §  • 

13|; 

1 

|; 

§15: 

^11- 

^ 

-     «    3 

(D    3  ,3 

D 

g 

3,3  ; 

53  «•    *•     • 

§5 

3 

Nassanor6chqua, 
Nahonor6chqua, 

Nagonor6chqua, 
Nass'vvanorochqua, 
Nahotinor6chqua, 
Na.o-nntinornr.hnna. 

IMPERATIVE  1 

' 

1 

Ass'wanordchqua, 

Assanorochqua, 

i 

o 

c 
2. 

55' 

IMPERATIVE  P] 

•*J 

C 

\ 

Pi 

H 

00 

cj 

rt 

* 

.  >        .  > 

V                 P" 

"   §          '    § 
.    cT         .  ~~' 

* 

P 

3 

H||H 

•    w  «  -s  cr 

hM    P    CD    CD 

g  3*3  S 

^^  3"  cr"^^^  3"  3* 

=  ||:||P 

»       p         Ctcn 

cy   5 

S*        m    w 

55* 

CD    (t) 

5 

tff| 

1 
S 

1? 

a> 

1 

S' 

<9" 

C         C?        f*         <-+. 

GJ 

a"  ^o  g 

§'  ^      "^ 

fll   O   "*>  gj 

&.  urf      ^uu 

P    CD    Cl 

<s    - 

in     sn 

f  31 

?*?<:>  B" 

9     > 

:  sc         xx 

80 


CONJUNCTIVE    MOOD. 


Iroquois. 

Lenap6. 

Hebrew. 

When  or  if  I  love, 
thou  lovest, 
he  loves, 
we  love, 

they  love, 

Zeisberger  says, 
in  his  Onondago 
Grammar,  "  The 
conjunctive  or  op 
tative  is  not  in  the 
language,  but  is  ex 
pressed  by  the  in 
dicative." 

Ahoalak, 
Ahoalanne, 
Ehoalat, 
Ahoalenk, 
Ahoaleque, 
Ahoalachtit. 

There  is  no 
conj.  or  opt. 
mood  in  Heb. 
the  idea  of  de 
sire  or  contin 
gency  being 
expressed  by 
the  fut.  ind. 

PRETERITE. 


When  or  if  I  loved, 
thou  didst  1. 
he  loved, 
we  loved, 
ye  loved, 
they  loved, 

Wanting  in  Iro 
quois. 

Ahoalachkup, 
Ahoalannup, 
Ehoalachtup, 
Ahoalenkup, 
Ahoalekap, 
Ahoalachtitup, 

Nothing  cor 
respondent  in 
Hebrew. 

PLUPERFECT. 


When  or  it  I  had  loved, 
-  thnn  Inrtat  I'd 

Wanting  in  Iro 
quois. 

Ahoalakpanue, 
Ahoalanpanne, 
Ehoalatpanne, 
Ahoalenkpanne, 
Ahoalekpanne, 
Ahoalachtitpanne, 

Nothing  cor 
respondent  in 
Hebrew. 

.                 he  had  loved, 
we  had  I'd, 
ye  had  loved, 
they  had  I'd, 

FUTURE. 


When  or  if  I  shall  love, 

thou  3llT.lt  1 

Wanting  in  Iro 
quois. 

Ahoalaktsch, 
Ahoalantsch, 
Ehoalatsch, 
Ahoalavvonksch, 
Ahoalaweksch, 
Ahoalaktiksch, 

Nothing  cor 
respondent   in 
Hebrew. 

he  shall  love, 
we  shall  love, 
ye  shall  love, 
they  shall  1. 

INFINITIVE  MOOD. 


To  love, 
To  have  loved, 
To  be  about  to  love, 

Yonor6chqua, 
Yonorochquasqua 
'Nyonorochqua, 

Ahoalan, 

Ehob, 

3VTK 

The  participles  are  not  given  by  Zeisberger,  either  of  the  Onondago,  or 
tenni  Lenape. 

It  must  be  observed,  that  my  object  being  merely  to  show  the  difference 
between  the  Indian  languages  and  the  Hebrew,  I  have  not  attempted  to  ex 
hibit  a  full  view  of  the  exuberant  richness  of  their  grammatical  construction. 
The  Delaware  verb,  JMioalan,  to  lore,  pursued  through  all  its  forms,  occupies 
alone  fourteen  folio  pages  in  Zeisberger's  Grammar. 

I  proceed  to  give,  merely  as  a  specimen,  a  comparative  view  of  the  man 
ner  in  which  the  objective  personal  pronouns  are  united  to  the  active  verbs. 


81 


EXAMPLE  OF  THE  PERSONAL  FORMS  IN  DELAWARE  AND 
HEBREW. 


FIRST  PERSONAL  FORM,  I. 
Delaware,  present. 

Singular. 

Plural 

I  love  thee, 
I  love  him  or  her, 

K'dahoatell 
N'dahoala 

I  love  you,                K'dahoalohhumo 
1  love  them,                   N'dahoalavvak 

Hebrew,  prceterite. 

I  have  loved  thee, 

(m.)  Ahabticha, 

fntaM 

.  (f  \  Ahahtfrh 

I  have  loved  you,  (m.)  Ahabtichem, 

OD-mrrK 

ff\    Ahihtirhrn 

I  have  loved  him, 
hrr 

•pnnrrN 
Ahabtihu, 

•urnaroe 

Ahabtiha,  rrnarw 

fynarr* 
I  have  loved  them,  (m.)  Ahabtihem, 

ttrrromi 

ff\    Ahibtilirn 

JrrnapTK 

SECOND  PERSONAL  FORM,  THOU. 
Delaware,  present. 

Thou  iovest  me,                   K'dahoali  j  Thou  lovest  us,  K'dahoalineen 
him  or  her,      K'dahoala  j them,         K'dahoalawak 

He  brew ,  preterite ,  (m as c .) 


Thou  (m.)  hast  loved  me,  Ahabtani, 

rjmrrx 

Thou  hast  loved  us,  Ahabtanu, 

lansrrx 

-irrnnrrx 

Virr    Alnht-h'ih 

onarrx 

ff  \  Ahnht-'m     ?n-rrw 

rmaiTK 

(feminine.) 


Thou  (f.)  hast  loved  me,  Ahabtim, 


-a-nanx 


him, 


Ahabtihu,  f  as    in    first 

her,  f     person. 

Ahabtiha,  J 


Thou  (f.)  hast  loved  us,  Ahabtinu, 


them,  (m.)  Ahabtim, 
(f.)  Ahabtin, 


11 


THIRD  PERSONAL  FORM,  HE  OR  SHE. 
Delaware,  present. 


Singular. 

Plural. 

He 

or  she  loves  me,          N'dahoaltik 
"  thee            K'dahualuk 

He  or  she  loves  us,       W'dahoaiguna 

Hebrew,  prceterite,  (masc.) 

He 

has  loved  me,  Ahabdm,        <OSPTN 
thcc  (m  )  Ahabcbcii  T!ir7K 

He  has  loved  us,  Ahabauu,         nsanx 

jmrrx 

cnrrx 

(i.;  AnaDiin,    jarr>«. 

(feminine.) 

She  has  loved  rne,  Ahabathni,  -Dnsrrx 

tlioo     fm  \     AViaV>4tVlf>Via 

She  has  loved  us,  Anabathnu,  lanirrx 

innrrx 
(f  )  Ahabathcch 

onnrrx 

^f.^  Ahabnthnn. 

IV.  As  a  specimen  of  the  Grammatical  forms  of  the  Floridian  Languages, 
I  subjoin  the  "  Conjugation  of  a  verb  in  the  Cherokee  language,  by  the  Rev. 
Daniel  S.  Butrick,"  communicated  by  him  to  the  American  Philosophical 
Society.  I  copy  it  with  the  division  of  syllables,  accents,  &c.  from  the  ori 
ginal  paper. 

ACTIVE  VOICE— INDICATIVE  MOOD. 

PRESENT    TENSE. 


Sing. 

Dual 

Plural. 

1.  tse  ne  yi.  I  take,   or 
am  taking,  (a  per 
son,} 
2.  he  ne  yi.    Thou  ta- 
kest, 
3.  Cu  ne  yj.  He  or  she 
takes, 

1.  a  ne  ne  yi.  We   two 
take,   (speaking   to 
each  other,) 
I.  a  ste  ne  yi.    We  two 
take,  (ipcakingto  a 
third  person,) 
2.  a  ste  ne  yi.  You  two 
-     •  take, 

1.  a  te  ne  yi.    We   (all) 
take,   (speaking    to 
one  of  the,  company,) 
1.  a  tse  ne  yi.  We  (all) 
take,    (speaking    to 
one  not  of  the  com 
pany,) 
2,  a  tse  ne  yi.  You  (all) 
take, 
3.  tineney  i.  They  take. 

IMPERFECT  TENSE. 


Sing. 

Dual 

Plur. 

1.  tse  tie  yu  hu.    I  did 
take, 
2.  he  ne  yu  hu.  Thou, 
&c. 
3.  6  ne  yu  hu.    He,  &c. 

1.  a  ne  ne  yu  hu.    We 
(2)  did  take, 
1.  &  ste  ne  yu  hu     We 
(2)  did  take, 
2.  a  ste  ne  yu  hu.    You 
(2)  did  take, 

1.  a  te  ne  yu  hu.  We 
(all)  did  take, 
1.  &  tse  ne  yu  hu.  We 
(all)  did  take, 
2.  a  tse  ne  yu  hu.    You 
(all)  did  take, 
3.  6  ne  ne  yu  hu.  They 
did  take. 

PERFECT  TENSE. 


1.  tse  ne  ye  scii.  I  have 
taken,  or  been  ta 
king, 
2.  he  ne  ye  scu.  Thou, 
&c. 
3.  cu  ne  ye  scu.    He, 
&c.     ' 

1.  a  ne  ne  ye  scu.    We, 
(2)  &c. 
1.  a  ste  ne  ye  sea.    We, 
(2)  kc. 
2.  a  ste  ne  ye  scu.  You, 
(2)  fac. 

1.  a  te  ne  ye  scu.  We, 
(all)  kc. 
1.  a  tse  ne  ye  scu.  We, 
(all)  &c. 
2.  a  tse  ne  ye  scfl.  You, 
(all)  &,c. 
3.  ii  ne  ne  ye  scu.  They, 
&c. 

FIRST  FUTURE  TENSE. 


1.  tu  tse  ne  yu.    I  shall 
take, 
2.  te  ne  yu.  Thou,  &c. 
3.  tu  cu  ne  yu.  He,  &c. 

1.  tl  a  ne  ne  yu.    We 
two,  &c. 
1.  tl  a  ste  ne  yu.    We 
two,  &,c. 
2.  ti  a  ste  ne  yu.   You 
two,  &c. 

1.  ti  a  te  ne  yu.    We, 
(all)  &c. 
1.  ti  a  tse  ne  yn.    We, 
(all)  &c. 
2.  tl  a  tse  ne  yti.  You, 
(all)  &c. 
3.  tu  ne  ne  yu.  They, 
&c. 

SECOND  FUTURE  TENSE. 


1.  tse  ne  ye   sea  sti.  I 
shall  be  taking. 
2.  he   ne    ye    sea    sti. 
Thou,  &c. 
3.  cu  ne  ye  sea  sti.  He, 

&IC. 

1.  a  ne  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
We  two,  fcc. 
1.  a  ste  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
We  two,  &c. 
2.  a  ste   ne  ye  sea  sti. 
You  two,  &.c. 

1.  a  te   ne  ye  sea  sti. 
We,  (all)  &c. 
1.  a  tse  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
We  all,  &c. 
2.  a  tse  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
You  all,  &c. 
3.  a  ne  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
They,  &,c. 

"  The  potential  mode  is  generally  formed  from  the  indicative,  by  prefixing 
yd  te  ;  and  the  subjunctive,  by  prefixing  ye.  What  I  here  call  the  potential 
mode,  expresses  power ;  there  is  another  mode,  for  which,  as  yet,  I  have  no 
name,  to  express  liberty .-  as  /  may,"  fee.  D.  S.  B. 


84 


IMPERATIVE    MOOD. 


Sing. 

Dual. 

Plur. 

1.  tse  ne  yu.    Let  me 
take, 
2.  he  ne  yu.    Do  thou, 
fee. 
2.  wr  cu  ne  yu.     Let 
him,  fee. 

1.  a  ne  ne  yu.  Let  us 
two,  fee. 
1.  a  ste  ne  yu.  Let  us 
two,  fee. 
2.  a  ste  ne  yu.   Do  you 
two,  fee. 

1.  ft  te  ne  yu.   Let  us 
all,  fee. 
1.  a  tse  ne  yu.  Let  us 
all,  fee. 
2.  a  tse  ne  yu.    Do  you 
all,  fee. 
3.  wu  ne  ne  yu.     Let 
them,  fee. 

INFINITIVE    MOOD. 


1.  tseneyuti.  To  take, 
2.  he  ne  yu  tt. 
3.  6  ne  yu  ti. 

1.  aneneyuti, 
1.  a  ste  ne  yd  ti, 
2.  a  ste  ne  yu  tl, 

1.  ate  neyuti, 
1.  a  tseneyuti, 
2.  a  tse  ne  yu  tt, 
3.  6  ne  ne  yu  ti. 

PASSIVE  VOICE— INDICATIVE  MOOD. 


PRESENT  TENSE. 


Sing. 

Dual 

Plur. 

1.  ung  ke  ne  yu.    I  am 
taken, 
2.  a  tsu  ne  yu.    Thou, 
fee. 
3.  a  tse  ne  yu.  He,  fee. 

1.  ta  kin  e  ne  yu.    We 
two,  fee. 
1.  ta  km  e  ne  yu.    We 
two,  fee. 
2.  ta  ste  ne  yu.     You 
two,  fee. 

1.  ta  ke  ne  yu.  We,  (all) 
fee. 
1.  ta  ke  ne  yu.  We,  (all) 
fee. 
2,  ta  tse  ne  yu.  You,  (all) 
fee. 
3.  ta  ca  tse  ne  yu.  They, 
fee. 

IMPERFECT. 


1  .  ung  ke  ne  yu  hu.  I  was, 
fee. 
2.  a  tsu  ne  yu  hu.  Thou, 
fee. 
3.  atseneyuhu.     He, 
fee. 

1.  ta  kin  e  ne  yu  hu, 
1.  ta  kin  e  ne  yu  hu, 
2.  ta  ste  ne  yu  hu, 

1.  take  neyu  hii, 
1.  ta  keneyuhu, 
2.  ta  tse  ne  yu  hu, 
3.  ta  ca  tse  ne  yii  hu. 

PERFECT. 


1.  ungke  ne  ye  scu.  I 
have  been  taken, 
2.  a  tsti  ne  ye  scu.  Thou, 
fee. 
3.  k  tse  ne  ye  scti.    He, 
fee. 

1.  ta  kin  e  neye  scu, 
1  .  ta  kin  e  ne  ye  scu, 
2.  ta  ste  ne  ye  scu, 

1.  take  neye  scu, 
1  .  ta  ke  ne  ye  scii, 
2.  ta  tse  ne  ye  scu, 
3.  ta  ca  tse  ne  ye  scu. 

FUTURE, 


Sing. 

Dual. 

Plur. 

1.  ti  yung  ke  ne  yu.  I 
shall  be  taken, 
2.  ti  y\  tsu  ne  yu.  Thou, 
&c. 
3.  ti  ya  tse  ne  yu.     He, 
&c. 

1.  tiya  kin  e  ne  yu, 
1.  tiya  kin  e  ue  yu, 
2.  ti  ya  ste  ne  yu, 

1.  ti  yake  ne  yu, 
1.  tiyakeneyu, 
2.  ti  ya  tse  ne  yu, 
3.  tu  ca  tse  ne  yu. 

N.  B.  The  potential  and  subjunctive  moods  are  formed  in  the  same  man 
ner  as  in  the  active  voice. 


IMPERATIVE    MOOD. 


1.  wung  ke  ne  yu.    Let 
me  be  taken, 
2.  wa  tsu  ne  yu.     Do 
thou  be,  &,c. 
3.  wa  tse  ne  yO.     Let 
him,  &LC. 

1.  ta  kin  e  ne  yu, 
1.  ta  kin  e  ne  yu, 
2.  ta  ste  ne  yu, 

1.  take  neyu, 
1.  ta  ke  ne  yu, 
2.  ta  tse  ne  yu, 
3.  wi  ti  ca  tse  ne  yu. 

NOTE.  Some  words  in  this  mood  are  distinguished  from  the  present  passive 
only  by  the  accent,  which  is  not  here  marked. 


INFINITIVE    MOOD. 


1.  ung  ke  ne  yu  ti.     To 
be  taken, 
2.  a  tsu  ne  yu  ti, 
3.  a  tse  ne  yti  ti, 

1  .  ta  kin  e  ne  yu  ti, 
1.  takln  eneyiitl, 
2.  ta  ste  ne  yu  ti, 

1.  ta  ke  ne  yu  ti, 
1.  take  neytitl, 
2.  ta  tse  ne  yu  ti, 
3.  ti  ca  tse  ne  yu  if. 

MIDDLE  VOICE— INDICATIVE  MOOD. 

PRESENT  TENSE. 


Sing. 

Dual 

Plur. 

1.  cu  ta  ne  yl.    I  am  ta 
king,  (myself,) 
2.  hu  ta  ne  yl.    Thou, 
fee. 
3.  ataneyl.  He,  &c. 

1    ta  nu  ta  ne  yl, 
1.  tastutane  yl, 
2.  ta  stu  ta  ne  yl, 

1.  ta  tu  ta  ne  yl, 
1    ta  tsu  ta  ne  yi, 
2.  ta  tsii  ta  ne  yi, 
3.  tanutaneyl. 

86 


IMPERFECT. 


Sing. 

Dual. 

Plur. 

1.  k  qii  tk  ne  yii  hu.  I 
did  take,  (myself,) 
2.  tsu  tk  ne  yii  hii.  Thou, 
<&c. 
3.  6  tk  ne  yu  hu.  He,  &c. 

1.  km  u  tk  ne  yu  hii, 
1.  6  kin  ii  tk  ne  yu  hu, 
2.  e  stu  tk  ne  yu  hu, 

1.  e  ciitkne  yu  hu, 
1.  6  cu  tk  ne  yu  hu, 
2.  e  tsu  tk  ne  yu  hu, 
3.  t6  nu  tk  ne  yu  hii. 

PERFECT. 


1.  cu  tk  ne  ye  scii.    I 
have  taken,  or  been 
taking,  (myself,) 
2.  hu  tk  ne  ye  scii.  Thou, 

&.C. 

3.  k  tk  ne  ye  scu.  He, 
&c. 

1.  ta  nu  tk  ne  ye  scu, 
1.  ta  stii  tk  ne  ye  scu, 
2.  ta  stu  tk  ne  ye  scu, 

1.  ta  tu  tk  ne  ye  scu, 
1  .  ta  tsu  tk  ne  ye  scii, 
2.  ta  tsii  tk  ne  ye  scii, 
3.  tk  nii  tk  ue  ye  scii. 

FIRST  FUTURE 


1.  tu  cu  tk  ne  yu.  I  shall 
take,  (myself,) 
2.  tu  tk  ne  yii.    Thou, 

&LC. 

3.  tu  n  tk  ne  yii.  H^,  &e. 

1.  ta  tk  niitk  ne  yii, 
1.  ta  ti  a  stii  tk  ne  yu, 
2.  ta  tk  stii  tk  ne  yii, 

1.  ta  tktutkneyii, 
1  ta  ti  a  tsu  tk  ne  yii, 
2,  ta  tk  tsii  tk  ne  yii, 
3.  ta  tii  nii  tk  ne  yu. 

SECOND  FUTURE. 


1.  cu  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti.    I 
shall     be      taking, 
(myself,) 
2.  hii  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti. 
Thou,  &c. 
3.  k  ta    ne  ye  sea  sti. 
.fce,  fee. 

1.  ta.  nii  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti, 
1.  ta  stu  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti, 
2.  ta  stu  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti, 

1.  ta  tii  tk  ne  ye  sea  stir, 
1.  ta  tsii  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti, 
2.  ta  tsu  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti, 
3.  tk  nii  tk  ne  ye  sea  sti. 

The  potential  and  subjunctive  moods  formed  in  some  respects  as  in  the 
Active  Voice. 


IMPERATIVE    MOOD. 


1.  ciitkne  yu.    Let  me 
take,  (myself,) 
2.  hu  tk  ne  yii.  Do  thou, 
&c. 
3.  wii  tk  ne  yii.  Let  him, 
&c. 

1.  ta  nii  tk  ne  yii, 
1.  ta  stiita  ne  yii, 
2.  ta  stii  tk  ne  yii, 

1.  ta  tii  tk  ne  yu, 
1.  ta  tsu  tk  ne  yii, 
2.  ta  tsii  tk  ne  yu, 
3.  wl  tii  iiu  tk  ne  yii. 

87 


INFINITIVE    MOOD. 


Sing. 

Dual. 

Plur. 

1.  a  qu  ta  ne  yfi  ti.     To 
take,  (myself,) 
2.  tsu  til  ne  yu  U, 
3.  6  ta  ne  yu  tr, 

1.  ta  kin  ii  ta  ne  yu  ti, 
1.  takinuta  ne  yu  ti, 
2.  ta  stu  ta  ne  yu  ti, 

l.ta  cii  ta  neytt  ti, 
1  .  ta  cu  ta  ne  yu  ti, 
2.  ta  tsu  ta  ne  yu  tt, 
3.  tsu  nutaneyuti. 

«  REMARKS. 

"  1.  When  two  are  talking  together,  and  one  speaks  to  his  companion,  he 
says,  a  ne  ne  yi,  We  (two)  are  taking  ;  but  if  he  speaks  to  any  other  person 
or  persons  than  his  companion,  he  says,  d  ste  ne  yi,  We  (two)  are  taking. 

«  2.  When  three  or  more  people  are  talking  together,  and  one  speaks  to 
the  company,  he  says,  d  te  ne  yi,  We  (all)  are  taking  ;  but  if  he  speak  to  any 
person  or  persons,  not  included  in  the  expression — not  belonging  to  the 
company,  he  says,  d  tse  ne  yi,  We  (all)  are  taking.  So  through  all  the 
voices,  modes,  ai:d  tenses. 

"  3.  The  infinitive  mode  is  varied  by  persons.  Thus,  /  want  to  take,  a  qud 
id  li,  tse  ne  yu  ti :  I  want  you  to  take,  speaking  to  one  person,  I  say,  a  qud  16 
li,  he  m  yu  tt  :  I  want  him  to  take,  a  qud  16  li,  6  ne  yu  tt,  &c.  &c.  &c. 

"  4.  I  have  passed  over  the  potential  and  subjunctive  modes,  because 
there  are  various  ways  of  forming  them,  and  I  am  not  confident  which  is 
best.  I  have  omitted  the  participles,  because  1  am  not  sufficiently  acquaint 
ed  with  them." 

It  will  immediately  be  seen,  that  a  language  so  remarkably  rich  in  gram 
matical  forms  as  to  surpass  even  the  Greek,  differs  toto  ccelo  from  the  He 
brew,  one  of  the  simplest  of  all  languages.  For  the  sake  of  those,  however, 
who  are  unacquainted  with  the  latter,  I  subjoin  the  preterite  of  the  verb  x» 
TAKE,  Lakach  npb 


Sing. 


Plur. 


He  took, 
She  took, 


LaJcdchh        npV 
La-kechah  rrnnb 


Thou  (m.)  didst  take,  La-kdch-ta  nnpbi 


They  (rn.  &,  f.)  took,  La-kechu 
Ye  (m.)  took,        Le-kach-tem 


Ye  (f.)  took, 


Le-kach-ten  ?nnpb 

r  —   i i.   '  .  .    .  i 


Thou  (f.)  didst  take,  La-kacht     nnpb  We  (m.  &i  f.)  took,  La-kach-nu 
I  (m.  &  f.)  took,          La-kach-t 


For  the  vocabulary  from  Zeisberger,  the  conjugation  of  the  verbs  in  the 
Lenni  Lenape,  and  Onondago,  from  the  same  author,  and  the  above  exam 
ple  of  the  Cherokee  verb,  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  Peter  S.  Dupon- 
ceau,  Esq.  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Historical  and  Literorv  Commit- 


88 

tee  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society.  As  that  gentleman  is  devoting 
his  leisure  moments  with  great  ardour  to  the  study  of  Indian  languages,  we 
have  reason  to  expect,  that  he  will  throw  much  light  upon  the  philosophical 
history  of  human  speech  ;  a  subject  in  which,  to  use  the  words  of  the  Qvmr- 
terly  Reviewers,  "  the  critical  scholar,  the  metaphysician,  and  the  historian, 
are  equally  interested." 

NOTE  E. 

"  In  the  Indian  languages,  says  Mr.  Heckewelder,  those  discriminating 
words  or  inflections,  which  we  call  genders,  are  not,  as  with  us,  in  general, 
intended  to  distinguish  between  male  and  female  beings,  but  between 
animate  and  inanimate  things  or  substances.  Trees  and  plants  (annual 
plants  and  grasses  excepted)  are  included  within  the  generic  class  of  animated 
beings.  Hence  the  personal  pronoun  has  only  two  modes,  if  I  can  so  ex 
press  myself,  one  applicable  to  the  animate,  and  the  other  to  the  inanimate 
gender;  l  nekama'  is  the  personal  pronominal  form  which  answers  to  '  he' 
and  '  she'  in  English.  If  you  wish  to  distinguish  between  the  sexes,  you 
must  add  to  it  the  word  '  man'  or  <  woman.'  Thus,  l  nekama  lenno' 
means  <  he,'  or  '  this  man ;'  '  nekama  ochqueu,'  *  she,'  or  '  this  woman.' 

"  The  males  of  quadrupeds  are  called  l  lenno  wechum,'  and  by  contrac 
tion  '  lennochum,'  the  females  *  ochque  wtchum,'  and  by  contraction  '  och- 
qudchum,'  which  is  the  same  as  saying  he,  or  she  beasts.  With  the  winged 
tribe,  their  generic  denomination  <  wehelle'  is  added  to  the  word  which  ex 
presses  the  sex,  thus  i  lenno  wehelle,'  for  the  male,  and  l  ochquechelle,' 
(with  a  little  contraction,)  for  the  female.  There  are  some  animals,  the 
"  females  of  which  have  a  particular  distinguishing  name,  as  '  nunschetto,'  a 
doe,  'nunsheack,'  a  she  bear.  This,  however,  is  not  common."  Corres 
pondence  respecting  the  Indian  languages,  Let.  vii.  Transactions,  ut  supr, 
p.  367-9. 

"  The  Indians  distinguish  the  genders,  animate  and  inanimate,  even  in 
their  verbs.  Nolhatton  and  nolhalla,  both  mean  '  I  possess,'  but  the  former 
can  be  used  only  in  speaking  of  the  possession  of  things  inanimate,  and  the 
latter  of  living  creatures. — In  the  verb,  'to  see,'  the  same  distinction  is 
made  between  things,  animate  and  inanimate.  Newau,  '  I  see,'  applies 
only  to  the  former,  and  '  nemen,'  to  the  latter.  Thus  the  Delawares  say, 
lenno  NKWAU,  '/see  a  man;'  tscholens  NEWAU,  '  I  see  a  bird  ;'  achgook  NE- 
WAU,  <  I  see  a  snake;'  On  the  contrary,  they  say,  wiquam  NEMEN,  '  I  see  a 
house ;'  amochol  KKMEN,  '  I  see  a  canoe,'  fee.  Ibid.  p.  438-9. 

These  expressions  of  Mr.  Heckewelder  are  to  betaken,  however,  with 
due  limitation.  In  their  full  extent,  they  apply  only  to  the  Lenapc  and  their 
kindred  tribes.  It  is  certain,  from  the  specimens  of  the  Mohawk  and  Onon- 


89 

dago  in  the  preceding  note,  that  there  are  feminine  verbs  in  the  Iroquois. 
That  the  distinctions  of  gender  exist  also  in  the  nouns,  is  evident  from  the 
following  passage  in  Zeisberger's  Onondago  Grammar.  "  The  gender  of 
nouns  is  twofold,  masculine  and  feminine;*  it  is  partly  designated  or  dis 
tinguished  by  the  nature  of  the  thing,  and  partly  from  prefixes,  or,  to  speak 
more  accurately,  preformatites.  Examples  :  1.  From  the  nature  of  the 
thing — Etschinak,  a  man  ;  Ecliro,  a  woman.  2.  From  prefixes — Sayddat,  a 
person,  (m.)  Sgayddat  a  person,  (f.)  T'hidtage,  two  persons,  (m.)  t'gidtage, 
two  persons,  (f.)  dchso  nihwnati,  three  persons,  (m.)  dchso  negunati,  three 
persons.(f.)"  Zeisberger's  M.  S.  Grammar  of  the  Onondago  Lang.  transL 
by  P.  S.  Duponceau,  Esq. 

Yet  we  must  not  hastily  conclude,  that  the  distinction  of  animate  and 
inanimate,  does  not  exist  in  the  Iroquois.  Charlevoix,  whose  cautious  ac 
curacy  on  other  subjects  leads  us  to  place  confidence  in  what  he  asserts  on 
his  own  knowledge,  says  expressly,  "  Dans  le  Huron,  (a  dialect  of  the  Iro 
quois,)  tout  se  conjugue,"  &.c. — "  Les  verbes  simples  ont  une  double  conju- 
gaison,  1'une  absolue,  1'autre  reciproque.  Les  troisicmes  personnes  ont  les 
deux  genres,  car  il  n'y  en  a  que  deux  dans  ces  langues,  a  scavoir  le  genre  no 
ble,  et  le  genre  ignoble.  Pour  ce  qui  est  des  nombres  et  des  terns,  on  y 
trouve  les  memes  differences,  que  dans  le  Grec.  Par  exemple,  pour  racon- 
ter  un  voyage,  on  s'exprime  autrement,  si  on  1'a  fait  par  terre,  ou  si  on  1'a 
fait  par  eau.  Les  verbes  actifs  se  multiplient  autant  de  fois,  qu'il  y  a  de 
choses  qui  tombent  sous  leur  action ;  comme  le  verbe,  qui  signifie  manger, 
varie  autant  de  fois,  qu'il  y  a  de  choses  comestibles.  Inaction  s'exprime, 
autrement  a  I'tgard  d'une  chose  anim&e,  et  d'une  chose  inanimte  ;  ainsi,  voir 
un  homme,  et  voir  une  pierre,  ce  sont  deux  verbes.i  Se  servir  d'une  chose, 
qui  appartient  a  celui  qui  s'en  sert,  ou  a  celui  a  qui  on  parle,  ce  sont  autant 
de  verbes  differens. — //  y  a  quelque  chose  de  tout  cela  dans  la  langue  Algon- 
quine,  (a  dialect  of  the  Lenape  or  Delaware,)  mais  la  maniere  n'enestpas 
la  meine,  et  je  ne  suis  nullement  en  etat  de  vous  en  instruire."  Journal 
Hist.  p.  197. 

On  this  subject,  Mr.  Duponceau  thus  writes  to  me:  "I  have  yet  found 
nothing  in  Zeisberger  respecting  an  inanimate  gender  in  the  Iroquois,  but  it 
does  not  follow  from  thence,  that  it  does  not  exist  some  where,  and  in  some 


*  In  another  grammar  of  the  Onondago,  by  the  same  author,  he  says,  "  there 
are  three  genders,  masculine,  feminine,  and  neuter.  The  neuter  nouns  are  those 
which  have  no  sign  of  gender  prefixed  to  them."  In  his  Delaware  grammar,  he 
also  divides  the  genders  into  masculine,  feminine,  and  neuter.  Yet  we  now 
know,  that  they  are  also  divided  into  animate  and  inanimate. 

f  The  same  assertion,  and  the  same  example,  as  that  of  Heckewelder,  with 
respect  to  the  Delaware,  above  quoted. 

12 


90 

form,  in  that  language;  for  in  his  Delaware  Grammar,  he  divides  the  gen 
ders  into  masculine,  feminine,  and  neuter  •,  and  it  is  from  Mr.  Heckewelder 
that  we  have  the  account  of  the  inanimate.  The  truth  is,  that  the  writers  of 
Indian  Grammars,  most  of  them  at  least,  have  tried  too  much  to  assimilate 
their  rules  to  those  of  their  own  language,  or  of  the  Latin.  It  was  a  great 
while  before  I  satisfied  myself,  that  the  Iroquois  was  Polysynthetic.  Zeis- 
berger's  Grammars  do  not  show  it;  but  some  other  manuscripts  of  his,  and  a 
careful  investigation  of  his  Grammars  and  Dictionaries,  with  that  view,  have 
convinced  me  that  it  is  so  in  the  highest  degree.  This  I  shall  develope  at  a 
future  day,  when  I  have  more  leisure  for  it ;  but,  on  the  whole,  we  must  be 
careful  of  general  negative  inferences,  as  they  may  mislead  us." 

"  The  Delaware,  though  it  has  this  general  division  of  animate  and  inani 
mate,  is  not  a  stranger  to  the  masculine  and  feminine ;  as  many  names  ol 
animals  are  different  for  the  sexes,  and  others  are  distinguished  as  with  us  by 
a  male  and  female  epithet  Thus  we  say,  he  cat,  she  cat,  cock  sparrow,  hen 
sparrow,  &c.  From  these,  an  Iroquois,  on  a  superficial  view,  might  say  that 
our  language  has  no  genders,"  &c. 

NOTE  F. 

Much  stress  has  been  laid  upon  the  supposed  use  of  the  Hebrew  words 
Jehovah  and  Halleluiah  among  the  Indians.  With  regard  to  the  invocation 
of  God,  by  the  name  of  Jehovah,  the  fact,  in  the  first  place,  is  not  certain. 
Some  travellers  assert  that  the  Indians,  when  assembled  in  council,  and  on 
other  solemn  occasions,  express  their  approbation  by  ejaculating  Ho,  ho,  ho, 
with  a  very  guttural  emission.  In  the  minutes  of  a  treaty,  held  at  Lancaster, 
I  think  in  1742,  on  which  occasion  Conrad  Weiser  was  interpreter,  it  is 
said  that  the  chiefs  expressed  their  approbation  in  the  usual  manner,  by  say 
ing,  "  Yo-wah."  Adair  says  that  they  exclaim,  "  Yo-he-wah,"  and,  accord 
ing  to  his  manner  of  interpretation,  asserts,  that  this  means  "  Jehovah."  But 
surely  all  this  may  be  purely  imaginary.  It  is  well  known  that  the  Hebrew 
nation  abstain  from  the  use  of  this  sacred  name.  We  have  the  authority  of 
Josephus  and  Philo,  that  it  was  never  pronounced.  The  Septuagint  ver 
sion,  which  was  made  more  than  250  years  before  Christ,  constantly  substi 
tutes  for  it,  the  word  Kw/>/of,  Lord,  which  agrees  with  the  present  practice 
among  the  Jews.  It  must  be  proved,  then,  that  before  the  dispersion  of  the 
ten  tribes,  it  was  customary  to  pronounce  the  name  of  Jehovah,  or  else  the 
use  of  a  similar  word  among  the  Indians  is  hostile  to  the  theory  it  was  in 
tended  to  serve. 

As  to  the  word  Halleluiah,  supposing  it  to  be  true  that  such  a  word  is  ut 
tered,  and  that  it  is  not  an  accidental  resemblance,  what  is  the  inference  to 
be  drawn  from  it  ?  That  the  Indians  are  Hebrews?  But "  the  ancient  Greeks 


91 

tad  their  similar  acclamation,  EA.«X«V  Iw,  with  which  they  both  began  and 
ended  their  pozans,  or  hymns,  in  honour  of  Apollo."  See  Parkhurst,  Heb. 
Lex.  voce  brr.  v.  and  Calmet's  Diet.  Article  Alleluia.  May  we  not  as  wel* 
conclude,  that  the  Indians  are  descended  from  the  Greeks,  or  the  Greeks 
from  the  Hebrews  ?  All  such  arguments  are  extremely  unsatisfactory,  and 
can  weigh  nothing  in  opposition  to  the  facts,  that  the  American  languages 
have  no  affinity  with  the  Hebrew,  that  the  Indians  have  not  the  least  know 
ledge  of  written  characters,  that  none  of  them  practise  the  rite  of  circum 
cision,  and  that  there  are  no  traces  among  them  of  the  observation  of  the 
Sabbath.  "  It  cannot  be  perceived  that  they  have  any  set  holy-dayes ;  only 
in  some  great  distresse  of  want,  feare  of  enemies,  times  of  triumph,  and  of 
gathering  their  fruits,  the  whole  countrey,  men,  women,  and  children,  as 
semble  to  their  solemnities."  Observations  of  the  Rites  of  Virginians,  by 
Captain  Smith  and  others.  Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  951. 

NOTE  G. 

This  belief  in  subordinate  deities  is  represented  by  Adair,  in  conformity 
with  his  system,  as  only  a  belief  in  the  ministration  of  Angels.  Hist  of  the 
North  American  Indians,  p.  36. 

"  They  (viz.  the  Cherokees,  Creeks,  Choctaws,  &,c.)  believe  the  higher 
regions  to  be  inhabited  by  good  spirits,  whom  they  call  Hottuk  Ishtohoolh 
and  Nana  Ishtohoollo,  <•  holy  people,'  and  '  relations  to  the  great  holy  one.' 
The  Hottuk  Ookproose  or  Nana  Ookproose,  l  accursed  people,'  or  '  accursed 
beings,'  they  say,  possess  the  dark  regions  of  the  west ;  the  former  attend 
and  favour  the  virtuous;  and  the  latter,  in  like  manner,  accompany  and 
have  power  over  the  vicious."  p.  36.  "  Several  warriors  have  told  me,  that 
their  JVana  Ishtohoollo, '  concomitant  holy  spirits,'  or  angels,  have  forewarned 
them,  as  by  intuition,  of  a  dangerous  ambuscade,  which  must  have  been  at 
tended  with  certain  death,  when  they  were  alone,  and  seemingly  out  of  dan 
ger  ;  and  by  virtue  of  the  impulse,  they  immediately  darted  off,  and,  with 
extreme  difficulty,  escaped  the  crafty  pursuing  enemy."  p.  37. 

The  Chepewyan,  or  Northern  Indians,  according  to  Hearne,  "  are  very 
superstitious  with  respect  to  the  existence  of  several  kinds  of  fairies,  called 
by  them  Nant-e-na,  whom  they  frequently  say  they  see,  and  who  are  supposed 
by  them  to  inhabit  the  different  elements  of  earth,  sea,  and  air,  according  to  their 
several  qualities.  To  one  or  other  of  those  fairies  they  usually  attribute  any 
change  in  their  circumstances,  either  for  the  better  or  worse;  and  as  they  are 
led  into  this  way  of  thinking  entirely  by  the  art  of  the  conjurers,  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  any  general  mode  of  belief;  for  those  jugglers  differ  so  much 
from  each  other  in  their  accounts  of  these  beings,  that  those  who  believe 
any  thing  they  say,  have  little  to  do  but  change  their  opinions  according  to 


92 

the  will  and  caprice  of  the  conjurer,  who  is  almost  daily  relating  some  new 
whim  or  extraordinary  event,  Avhich,  he  says,  has  been  revealed  to  him  in  a 
rtream,  or  by  some  of  his  favourite  fairies,  when  on  a  hunting  excursion." 
Hearne,  347.  cap.  ix.  end.  What  Hearne  calls  fairies  were  probably  the  infe 
rior  tutelary  deities. 

When  among  the  Sioux,  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke  went  to  see,  (anno 
1804,)  "a  large  mound  in  the  midst  of  a  plain,  about  N.  20.  w.  from  the 
mouth  of  Whitestone  River,  from  which  it  is  nine  miles  distant.  It  is  called 
by  the  Indians,  the  Mountain  of  Little  People,  or  Little  Spirits,  and  they  be 
lieve  that  it  is  the  abode  of  little  devils  in  the  human  form,  of  about  IS  inches 
high,  and  with  remarkably  large  heads;  they  are  armed  with  sharp  arrows,  with 
which  they  are  very  skilful,  and  are  always  on  the  watch  to  kill  those  who  should 
have  the  hardihood  to  approach  their  residence.  The  tradition  is,  that  many 
have  suffered  from  those  little  evil  spirits,  and  among  others,  three  Maha 
Indians  fell  a  sacrifice  to  them  a  few  years  since.  This  has  inspired  all  the 
neighbouring  nations,  Sioux,  Mahas,  and  Ottoes,  with  such  terror,  that  no 
consideration  could  tempt  them  to  visit  the  hill."  Lewis  and  Clarke's  ex 
pedition  up  the  Missouri,  vol.  1.  p.  52-3.  Philad.  1814. 

The  term  devils  is  a  gloss  of  the  travellers.  These  are  probably  the  same 
with  the  Match!  Manittoes,  or  inferior  evil  spirits,  of  the  Lenape. 

"  The  whole  religion  of  the  Mandans,  (anno  1804,)  consists  in  the  belief 
of  one  Great  Spirit,  presiding  over  their  destinies.  This  being  must  be  in  the 
nature  of  a  good  genius,  since  it  is  associated  with  the  healing  art,  and  the  Great 
Spirit  is  synonomous  with  Great  Medicine,  a  name  also  applied  to  every  thing 
which  they  do  not  comprehend.  Each  individual  selects  for  himself  the  particular 
object  of  his  devotion,  which  is  termed  his  medicine,  and  is  either  some  invisible 
being,  or  more  commonly  some  animal,  which  thenceforward  becomes  his  protec 
tor  or  his  intercessor  with  the  Great  Spirit ;  to  propitiate  whom,  every  atten 
tion  is  lavished,  and  every  personal  consideration  is  sacrificed.  <I  was 
lately  owner  of  17  horses,'  said  a  Mandan  to  us  one  day,  <  but  I  have  offered 
them  all  up  to  my  medicine,  and  am  now  poor.'  He  had  in  reality  taken  all 
his  wealth,  his  horses,  into  the  plain,  and,  turning  them  loose,  committed 
them  to  the  care  of  his  medicine,  and  abandoned  them  for  ever.  The  hor 
ses,  less  religious,  took  care  of  themselves,  and  the  pious  votary  travelled 
home  on  foot."  Lewis  and  Clarke,  vol.  1.  p.  138. 

"Besides  the  buffaloe  dance,  we  have  just  described,  there  is  another 
called  medicine  dance,  an  entertainment  given  by  any  person  desirous  of 
doing  honour  to  his  medicine  or  genius.  He  announces  that  on  such  a  day 
he  will  sacrifice  his  horses,  or  other  property,  and  invites  the  young  females 
of  the  village  to  assist  in  rendering  homage  to  his  medicine  ;  all  the  inhabit 
ants  may  join  in  the  solemnity,  which  is  performed  in  the  open  plain,  and 
by  daylight,  but  the  dance  is  reserved  for  the  unmarried  females.  The  fea.?t 


93 

is  opened  by  devoting  the  goods  of  the  Master  of  the  feast  to  his  medicine,  which 
is  represented  by  a  htnd  of  the  animal  itself,  or  by  a  medicine  bag,  if  the  deity 
be  an  invisible  being."  Lewis  and  Clarke,  vol.  1.  p.  151-2. 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that,  from  an  imperfect  knowledge  of  their  language 
and  religious  customs,  Lewis  and  Clarke  were  led  into  a  mistake  respecting 
the  term  "  Medicine,"  as  applied  to  the  Supreme  Being,  and  to  the  subordi 
nate  divinities.  The  Indians  undoubtedly  consider  the  healing  art  as  a 
supernatural  power ;  and  as  they  c&ll  every  thing  they  do  not  comprehend 
a  Spirit,  they  would  naturally  call  any  medicine,  of  which  they  had  felt  the 
efficacy,  a  Spirit  Lewis  and  Clarke  may  easily,  therefore,  have  been  led 
to  suppose  that  their  word  for  Spirit  meant  medicine. 

That  the  same  belief  in  one  supreme,  and  numerous  subordinate  deities, 
existed  among  the  tribes  now  extinct,  who  formerly  inhabited  the  Atlantic 
States,  appears  from  the  accounts  given  by  the  first  settlers,  which  coincide 
in  a  remarkable  manner  with  the  statements  of  Modern  Travellers. 

In  the  year  1587,  Thomas  Hariot,  sent  over  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  and, 
to  use  his  own  expressions, "  in  dealing  with  the  naturall  inhabitants  specially 
imployed,"  gives  the  following  statement,  concerning  the  Indians  within 
the  Colony  of  Virginia : 

"  Some  religion  they  have  already,  which,  although  it  be  farre  from  the 
true,  yet  this  being  as  it  is,  there  is  hope  it  may  be  the  easier  and  sooner  re 
formed  ;  they  also  believe  that  there  are  many  gods,  which  they  call  Mantoac, 
being  of  different  sorts  and  degrees,  one  onely  chieje  and  Great  God,  which 
hath  bene  from  all  eternitie.  Who,  as  they  affirme,  when  hee  purposed  to 
make  the  world,  madejirst  other  Gods  of  a  principall  order,  to  be  as  meanes 
and  instruments  to  be  used  in  the  Creation  and  government  tofolow  ;  and  after 
the  sunne,  moone,  and  siarres  as  pettie  Gods,  and  the  instruments  of  the  other 
order  more  principal.  First,  (they  say,)  were  made  waters,  out  of  which  by 
the  Gods  was  made  all  diversitie  of  creatures  that  are  visible  or  invisible." 
Hackluyt's  Collection,  vol.  3.  p.  276-7. 

In  Winslow's  "  Good  News  from  New-England ;  or  a  relation  of  things 
remarkable  in  that  plantation,"  anno  1622,  occur  the  following  remarks  on 
the  subject  of  the  Indian  Religion : 

"  A  few  things  I  thought  meete  to  adde  heereunto,  which  I  have  observed 
amongst  the  Indians,  both  touching  their  religion,  and  sundry  other  cus- 
tomes  amongst  them.  And  first,  whereas  myself e  and  others,  informer  letters' 
(which  came  to  the  presse  against  my  wille  and  knowledge,)  wrote  that  the 
Indians  about  us  are  a  people  without  any  religion  or  knowledge  of  any  Godf 
therein  I  erred,  though  wee  could  then  gather  no  better ;  for  as  they  conceive  of 
many  divine  powers,  so  of  one  whom  they  call  Kiehtan,  to  be  the  principall 
maker  of  all  the  rest,  and  to  be  made  by  none  :  Hee,  (they  say,)  created  the 
Heavens,  Earth,  Sea,  and  all  creatures  co  ntained  therein.  Also,  that  hee  made 


94 

one  man  and  one  woman,  of  whom  they  and  wee,  and  all  mankind,  came 
but  how  they  became  so  farre  dispersed  that  know  they  not.  At  first,  they 
say,  there  was  no  Sachem  or  King,  but  Kiehtan  who  dwelleth  above  the 
Heavens,  whither  all  good  men  goe  when  they  die  to  see  their  friends,  and 
have  their  fill  of  all  things  :  This,  his  habitation,  lyeth  westward  in  the  Hea 
vens  they  say;  thither  the  bad  men  goe  also,  and  knocke  at  His  doore,  but 
he  bids  them  Quachet,  that  is  to  say  Walke  abroad,  for  there  is  no  place  for 
such  ;  so  that  they  wander  in  restlesse  want  and  penury.  Never  man  saw 
this  Kiehtan  ;  ondy  old  men  tell  them  of  him,  and  bid  them  tell  their  children; 
yea,  to  charge  them  to  teach  their  posterities  the  same,  and  lay  the  like 
charge  upon  them.  This  power  they  acknowledge  to  be  good,  and  when  they 
obtaine  any  great  matter,  meet  together  and  cry  unto  him,  and  so  likewise  for 
plenty,  victory,  fyc.  sing,  dance,  feast,  give  thaakes,  and  hang  up  garlands, 
and  other  things  in  memory  of  the  same. 

"  Another  power  they  worship  whom  they  call  Hobbamock,  and  to  the 
northward  of  us  Hobbamoqui  ;  this  as  farre  as  wee  can  conceive  is  the 
devill,  him  they  call  upon  to  cure  their  wounds  and  diseases.  When  they 
are  curable,  hee  perswades  them  hee  sends  the  same  for  some  conceiled  an 
ger  against  them,  but  upon  their  calling  upon  him,  can  and  doth  help  them  ; 
but  when  they  are  mortall,  and  not  curable  in  nature,  then  he  perswades 
them  Kiehtan  is  angry  and  sends  them,  whom  none  can  cure  ;  insomuch,  as 
in  that  respect  onely  they  somewhat  doubt  whether  hee  bee  simply  good, 
and  therefore  in  sicknesse  never  call  upon  him.  This  Hobbomock  appears  in 
sundry  formes  unto  them,  as  in  tht  shape  of  a  man,  a  deare,  afawne,  an  eaglet 
fyc.,  but  most  ordinarily  as  a  snake :"  fy-c.  Purchas's  Pilgrim,  lib.  x.  chap.  v. 
vol.  4.  p.  1867. 

This  Hobbomock,  or  Hobbamoqui,  who  "  appears  in  sundry  forms,"  is 
evidently  the  Oke  or  Tutelary  Deity,  which  each  Indian  worships ;  and  Mr. 
Winslow's  narrative  affords  a  solution  of  the  pretended  worship  of  the 
devil,  which  the  first  settlers  imagined  they  had  discovered,  and  which  has 
since  been  so  frequently  mentioned  on  their  authority,  without  examination. 
The  natives,  it  was  found,  worshipped  another  being,  beside  the  Great  Spi 
rit,  which  every  one  called  his  Hobbomeck,  or  Guardian  Oke.  This,  the  En 
glish  thought,  could  be  no  other  than  the  Devil,  and  accordingly  they  as 
serted,  without  further  ceremony,  what  they  believed  to  be  a  fact.  Hence, 
in  a  "  Tractate,  written  at  Henrico  in  Virginia,  by  Master  Alexander  Whit- 
aker,  Minister  to  the  Colony  there,"  (anno  1613,)  we  find  the  following  ac 
count  of  the  worship  of  the  Kewas,  or  Tutelary  Deity  of  the  Virginian  In 
dians  : 

"  They  acknowledge  that  there  is  a  Great  Good  God,  but  know  him  not, 
having  the  eyes  of  their  understanding  as  vet  blinded  :  wherefore  they  serve, 
the  dec  ill  for  fear  e,  after  a  most  base  manner,  sacrificing  sometimes,  (as  I 


95 

have  here  heard,)  their  owne  children  to  him.*  J  have  sent  one  image  of 
their  God  to  the  eounsell  in  England,  which  is  painted  upon  one  side  of  a  toad- 
stoole,  much  like  unto  a  deformed  monster.  Their  priests,  (whom  they  call 
Quiokosoughs,)  are  no  other  but  such  as  our  English  witches  are,"  &c. 
Purchas,  lib.  ix.  vol.  4.  p.  1771. 

NOTE  H. 

"  Nemo  vir  magnus  sine  aliquo  afflatu  divino  unquam  fuit."     Cic.  de- 
Nat.  Deor.  lib.  ii. 

"Les  sauvages  appellent  Genie  ou  Esprit  tout  ce  qui  surpasse  la 
capacit6  de  leur  entendement,  et  dont  ils  ne  peuvent  comprcndre  la  cause. 
11s  en  croyent  de  bons  et  de  mauvais."  La  Horitan,  Memoires  de  1'Amerique 
Septentrionale,  Amsterd.  1705.  ed.  2.  vol.  2.  p.  127.  They  adore  the  Great 
Spirit,  he  observes,  in  every  thing.  "  Cela  est  si  vrai  que  des  qu'ils  voyent 
quelque  chose  de  beau,  de  curieux  ou  de  surprenant,  surtout  le  soleil  et  les 
autres  astres,  ils  s'ecrient  ainsi:  O  Grand  Esprit,  nous  te  voyons  partout." 
Ib.  p.  115. — La  Hontan  was  an  infidel,  and  sought  to  exalt  deism  at  the 
expense  of  Christianity.  It  is  impossible  to  read  his  work  without  perceiv 
ing  that  he  shelters  himself  under  the  garb  of  an  Indian,  while  he  gives  vent 
to  opinions  which  in  France  would  have  endangered  his  safety,  if  uttered 
as  his  own.  We  can  never  be  certain  of  the  accuracy  of  his  statements,  ex 
cepting  when  corroborated  by  other  testimony. — In  the  above  extracts,  it 
will  be  seen  how  he  has  bent  to  the  support  of  his  own  notions,  the  belief, 
that  every  thing  in  nature  has  its  tutelary  spirit. 

It  has  been  before  remarked  that  all  nature  is  divided  by  the  Indians 
into  the  two  great  classes  of  animate  and  inanimate.  It  is  probable, 
therefore,  that  all  animate  nature  being  considered  as  one  great  whole, 
the  agency  of  tutelary  spirits  is  supposed  to  be  co-extensive. — "  Un 
Francois  ayant  un  jour  jette  un  souris  qu'il  venoit  de  prendre,  une  petite 
fille  la  ramassa  pour  la  manger:  le  pere  de  1'enfant,  qui  1'appercut,  la 
lui  arracha,  et  se  mit  a.  faire  de  grandes  caresses  a  1'animal  qui  etoit 
mort :  le  Francois  lui  en  demanda  la  raison :  '  C'est,  repondit-il,  pour 
appaiser  le  Genie  des  souris,  afin  qu'il  ne  tourmente  pas  ma  fille,  quand 
elle  aura  mang6  celle-ci.'  Apres  quoi,  il  rendit  I'animal  a  1'enfant,  qui  le 
mangea." — Charlevoix,  Journal,  p.  299, 300. — "  Non  seulement  ces  sauvages 
(the  Potewotamies,  Outagamies,  and  other  nations  around  Lake  Michigan) 
ont,comme  tons  les  autres,  la  coutume  de  se  pr6parer  aux  grandes  chasses  par 
des  jeunes,  que  les  Outagamis  poussent  meme  jusqu'h.  dix  jours  de  suite, 
mais  encore,  tandis  que  les  chasseurs  sonten  campagne,  on  oblige  souvent, 

*  This,  Purchas  afterwards  mentions,  is  found  to  be  false,  vol.5,  p.  952.  It 
arose  from  a  mistaken  notion  respecting  the  ceremony  of  obtaining  a  Guardian 
Spirit  for  boys.  Sec  Note  T- 


96 

les  enfans  de  jeuner,  on  observe  les  sosges  qu'ils  ont  pendant  leur  jenne, 
et  on  en  tire  de  bons  ou  de  mauvais  augures  pour  le  succes  de  la  chasse.  Lin- 
tention  de  cesjeimes  est  d'appaiser  les  Gdnies  tutilaires  des  animaux,  qu'on  doit 
chasser,  et  I' on  pretend  qu'ils  font  connditre  par  les  reves  s'ils  s'opposeront,  ou 
s'ils  seront  favorables  aux  chasseurs."  Ib.  ubi  supra. 

«  I  have  often  reflected,"  says  Mr.  Heckewelder,  «  on  the  curious  con 
nexion  which  appears  to  subsist  in  the  mind  of  an  Indian,  between  man  and 
the  brute  creation,  and  found  much  matter  in  it  for  curious  observation. — 
All  beings,  endowed  by  the  Creator  with  the  power  of  volition  and  self-mo 
tion,  they  view  in  a  manner  as  a  great  society,  of  which  they  are  the  head, 
&.c. — They  are,  in  fact,  according  to  their  opinions,  only  the  first  among 
equals,  the  legitimate  hereditary  sovereigns  of  the  whole  animated  race,  of 
which  they  are  themselves  a  constituent  part  Hence,  in  their  languages, 
those  inflections  of  their  nouns,  which  we  call  genders,  are  not,  as  with  us> 
descriptive  of  the  masculine  and  feminine  species,  but  of  the  animate  and 
inanimate  kinds.  Indeed,  they  go  so  far  as  to  include  trees  and  plants  within 
the  first  of  these  descriptions.  All  animated  nature,  in  whatever  degree,  is, 
in  their  eyes,  a  great  whole,  from  which  they  have  not  yet  ventured  to  sepa 
rate  themselves.  They  do  not  exclude  other  animals  from  their  world  of 
Spirits,  the  place  to  which  they  expect  to  go  after  death. 

"  A  Delaware  hunter  once  shot  a  huge  bear,  and  broke  its  back  bone. 
The  animal  fell,  and  set  up  a  most  plaintive  cry,  something  like  that  of  the 
panther  .when  he  is  hungry.  The  hunter,  instead  of  giving  him  another  shot, 
stood  up  close  to  him,  and  addressed  him  in  these  words :  'Heark  ye  !  bear ; 
you  are  a  coward,  and  no  warrior,  as  you  pretend  to  be.  Were  you  a  warrior, 
you  would  show  it  by  your  firmness,  and  riot  cry  and  whimper  like  an  old 
woman.  You  know,  bear,  that  our  tribes  are  at  war  with  each  other,  and 
that  your's  was  the  aggressor.  You  have  found  the  Indians  too  powerful  for 
you,  and  you  have  gone  sneaking  about  in  the  woods,  stealing  their  hogs  ; 
perhaps  at  this  time  you  have  hog's  flesh  in  your  belly.  Had  you  conquered 
me,  I  would  have  borne  it  with  courage,  and  died  like  a  brave  warrior ;  but 
you,  bear,  sit  here  and  cry,  and  disgrace  your  tribe  by  your  cowardly  con 
duct.'  I  was  present  at  the  delivery  of  this  curious  invective.  When  the 
hunter  had  despatched  the  bear,  I  asked  him  how  he  thought  that  poor  ani 
mal  could  understand  what  he  said  to  it  ?  '  Oh  !'  said  he,  in  answer,  '  the 
bear  understood  me  very  well ;  did  you  not  observe  how  ashamed  he  looked 
while  I  was  upbraiding  him?'  "  Historical  Account,  &.c.  p.  247—9. 

NOTE  I. 

Mr.  Heckewelder  describes  the  same  cusfom  under  the  name  of  "  Initia 
tion  of  Boys  j"  "  a  practice,"  he  says,  "  which  is  very  common  among  the 


97 

Indians,  and  indeed  is  universal  among  those  nations  that  I  have  become 
acquainted  with."  "  When  a  boy  is  to  be  thus  initiated,  he  is  put  under  an 
alternate  course  of  physic  and  fasting,  either  taking  no  food  whatever,  or 
swallowing  the  most  powerful  and  nauseous  medicines,  and  occasionally  he 
is  made  to  drink  decoctions  of  an  intoxicating  nature,  until  his  mind  becomes 
sufficiently  bewildered,  so  that  he  sees,  or  fancies  that  he  sees,  visions,  and 
has  extraordinary  dreams,"  &c. — "  Then  he  has  interviews  with  the  Man- 
nitto,  or  with  Spirits  who  inform  him  of  what  he  was  before  he  was  born* 
and  what  he  will  be  after  his  death.  His  fate  in  this  life  is  laid  entirely  open 
before  him  ;  the  Spirit  tells  him  what  is  to  be  his  future  employment," 
&,c. — «  When  a  boy  has  been  thus  initiated,  a  name  is  given  to  him  analo 
gous  to  the  visions  that  he  has  seen,  and  to  the  destiny  that  is  supposed  to  b« 
prepared  for  him.  The  boy,  imagining  all  that  happened  to  him,  while  un 
der  perturbation,  to  have  been  real,  sets  out  in  the  world  with  lofty  notions 
of  himself,  and  animated  with  courage  for  the  most  desperate  undertakings." 
Hist.  Account,  p.  238,  239. 

This  practice  of  blacking  the  face  and  fasting,  together  with  the  use  of 
emetics,  as  a  system  of  religious  purification,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a 
Guardian  Spirit,  appears  to  have  existed  formerly  among  the  natives  of  Vir 
ginia  and  New-England ;  though  the  first  settlers  were  not  always  able  to 
learn  the  real  object  of  the  ceremonies  they  saw.  Tomocomo,  one  of  the 
Chiefs  of  the  Virginian  tribes,  gave  the  following  account  to  Mr.  Purchas,  in 
the  year  1616. 

"  They  use  to  make  black-boyes  once  in  14  or  15  yeeres  generally,  for  all 
the  country,  (this  happened  the  last  yeere,  1615,)  when  all  of  a  certaine  age, 
that  have  not  beene  made  black-boyes  before,  are  initiated  in  this  ceremonie. 
Some  foure  monthes  after  that  rite  they  live  apart,  and  are  fed  by  some  ap 
pointed  to  carry  them  their  food:  they  speake  to  no  man,  nor  come  in 
company,  seeme  distracted,  (some  thinke  by  some  devillish  apparition 
scarred  ;  certaine,  to  oblige  them  to  that  devillish  religion  as  by  a  hellish 
sacrament  of  the  devil's  institution,)  and  will  offer  to  shoot  at  such  os 
come  nigh  them.  And  when  they  come  into  company,  yet  are,  for  a  cer 
taine  time,  of  silent  and  strange  behaviour,  and  wil  doe  any  thing  never  so 
desperate  that  they  shal  be  bidden  ;  if  they  tel  them  they  shal  be  old  men, 
if  they  goe  not  into  the  fire,  they  will  doe  it.  There  is  none  of  their  men 
but  are  made  blacke-boyes  at  one  time  or  other.  Let  us  observe  these  things 
with  pittie  and  compassion,  and  endevour  to  bring  these  silly  souls  out  of 
the  snare  of  the  Devill,  by  our  prayers,  our  purses,  and  all  our  best  endea 
vours.  This  may  bee  added,  that  their  young  people  have,  in  manner,  no 
knowledge,  and  the  vulgar  little  of  their  religion.  They  use  also  to  beguile 
them  with  their  okee,  or  image  of  him  in  their  houses,  into  whose  mouth 
they  will  put  a  tobacco-pipe  kindled,  and  one  behinde  that  image  draw* 

13 


98 

the  smoke,  which  the  sillier  vulgar  and  children  thinke  to  bee  done  by  their 
God  or  Idoll."  Relation  of  Tornocomo  and  Mr.  Rolph,  in  Purchas,  vol.  v. 
booke  8.  chap.  6.  p.  955. 

This  ceremony  was  witnessed  by  the  famous  Captain  John  Smith,  one  of 
the  first  settlers,  and  by  William  White,  but  they  at  the  time  mistook  it  for  a 
sacrifice  of  the  Children  to  the  Devil.  See  Purchas,  vol.  5.  p.  952. 

"The  Werowance  being  demanded  the  meaning  of  this  sacrifice,  answered, 
That  the  Children  were  not  all  dead,  but  the  next  day  they  were  to  drinkc 
Wighsakon,  which  would  make  them  mad;  and  they  were  to  be  kept  by  the 
last  made  blacke-boyes  in  the  wildernesse,  when  their  oke  did  sucke  the  bloud 
of  those  which  fell  to  his  lot,  &c.  This  sacrifice  they  held  to  be  so  necessa 
ry,  that  if  they  should  omit  it,  their  oke  or  Devill,  and  all  their  other  Qui- 
youghcosughes,  which  are  their  other  gods,  would  let  them  have  no  deare,  tur- 
kies,  come,  nor  Jish,  and  yet  besides,  he  would  make  a  great  slaughter  amongst 
them."  Captain  Smith's  Description  of  Virginia.  Purchas,  vol.  4.  p.  1702. 
lib.  ix.  cap.  iii. 

Mr.  Winslow  gives  the  following  account  of  the  Indians  of  New-England. 
11  The  Panieses  are  men  of  great  courage  and  wisedome,  and  to  these  also  the 
Deuill  appcareth  more  familiarly  then  to  others,  and,  as  wee  conceiue,  maketh 
couenant  with  them,  to  preserve  them  from  death  by  wounds  ivith  arrowes,  knives, 
hatchets,  fyc.  or  at  least  both  themselues  and  especially  the  people  thinke  them- 
seines  to  be  freed  from  the  same.  And  though  against  their  battels,  all  of  them, 
by  painting,  disfigure  themselues,  yet  they  are  knowne  by  their  courage  and 
boldncsse,  by  reason  whereof  one  of  them  will  chase  almost  an  hundred  men,  for 
they  account  it  death  for  whomsoever  stand  in  their  way.  These  are  highly 
esteemed  by  all  sorts  of  people,  and  are  of  the  Sachim's  councill,  without 
which  they  will  not  warre,  or  vndertake  any  weightie  businesse,"  &c. 

"And  to  the  end  they  may  haue  store  of  these,  they  traine  up  the  most  for 
ward  and  likeliest  boys  from  their  childhood  in  great  hardncsse,  and  make  them 
abstain  from  daintie  meat,  observing  diners  orders  prescribed,  to  the  end  that 
ivhen  they  are  of  age,  the  Deuill  may  appeare  to  them,  causing  to  drink  the  juyce 
of  sentry,  and  other  bitter  hearbs  till  they  cast,  which  they  must  disgorge  into 
the  platter*  and  drinke  againe  and  againe,  till  at  length,  through  extraor 
dinary  press  of  nature,  it  will  seeme  to  be  all  bloud,  and  this  the  boys  will 
doe  with  eagernesse,  till  by  reason  offaintnesse  they  can  scarce  stand  on  their 
legs,  and  then  must  goe  forth  into  the  cold :  also  they  beat  their  shins 
with  sticks,  and  cause  them  to  run  through  bushes,  stumps,  and  brambles,  to 
make  them  hardy  and  acceptable  to  the  Dei-ill,  that  in  lime  he  may  appeare 
unto  them."  Purchas's  Pilgrim,  b.  x.  chap.  5.  vol.4,  p.  1S68.  The  passages 
in  italics  sufficiently  indicate  the  confidence  and  courage  with  which  the 
natives  were  inspired,  from  the  conviction  of  their  possessing  a  Guardian 
Spirit,  and  the  painful  austerities  which  their  children  were  obliged  to  under 
go  in  order  to  obtain  one. 


99 


NOTE  K. 

In  1584,  when  Virginia  was  first  discovered,  the  Captain  of  one  of  the 
vessels  sent  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  states,  concerning  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Island  of  Roanoak,  that  "  within  the  place  where  they  feede  was  their  lodg 
ing,  and  within  that  their  Idoll,  which  they  worship,  ofwhome  they  speak  incre 
dible  things."  Hakluyt,  vol  3.  p.  249.  4to.  Lond.  1600  «  When  they  goe  to 
warres  they  carry  about  with  them  their  idol,  of  whom  they  aske  counsel,  as  the 
Romans  were  woont  of  the  oracle  of  Apollo.  They  sing  songs  as  they  marche 
towardes  the  battell  instead  of  drummes,"  he.  Ibid.  p.  250. 

NOTE  L. 

Adair  affirms  that  the  Indians  do  not  "  worship  any  kind  of  Images  what 
soever."  (p.  22.)  "  These  Indian  Americans,"  he  says,  "pay  their  religious 
devoir  to  Loak  Ishto-hoollo-Aba, '  the  great,  beneficent,  supreme,  holy  Spi 
rit  of  Fire,'  who  resides,  (as  they  think,)  above  the  clouds,  and  on  earth  also 
with  unpolluted  people.  He  is  with  them  the  sole  author  of  warmth,  light, 
and  of  all  animal  and  vegetable  life.  They  do  not  pay  the  least  perceivable 
adoration  to  any  images  or  to  dead  persons  ;  neither  to  the  celestial  lumina 
ries,  nor  evil  Spirits,  nor  any  created  beings  whatsoever."  p.  19.  Yet  he 
afterwards  admits  that  "  there  is  a  carved  human  statue  of  wood,"  but  as 
serts  that  they  pay  to  it  no  religious  homage.  "  It  belongs  to  the  head  war- 
town  of  the  upper  Muskohge  country,  and  seems  to  have  been  originally  de 
signed  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  some  distinguished  hero  who  deserved  well  of 
his  country ;  for  when  their  cusseena,  or  bitter  black  drink,  is  about  to  be  drank 
in  the  Synedrion,  they  frequently,  on  common  occasions,  will  bring  it  there,  and 
honour  it  with  the  first  conchshell-full  by  the  hand  of  the  chief  religious  attend 
ant  :  and  then  return  it  to  its  former  place."  (p.  22.)  He  speaks  also  of 
"  Cherubimical  figures  in  their  Synhedria,"  before  which  they  danced 
through  a  strong  religious  principle,  and  always  in  a  bowing  posture  :  (p.  30.) 
When  it  is  recollected  that  Adair's  theory  required  it  to  be  proved  that  the 
Indians  worship  no  other  than  the  Supreme  Being,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to 
account  for  the  reluctance  with  which  he  is  obliged  to  admit  the  fact  of  the 
existence  of  these  images,  and  for  the  attempt  to  explain  it  in  consistency 
with  his  hypothesis. 

"  Though  so  familiar  with  these  genii,  they,  (the  Jugglers,)  cannot  de 
scribe  their  form  or  nature.  They  suppose  them  to  be  bodies  of  a  light, 
volatile,  shadowy  texture.  Sometimes  they  and  their  disciples  will  select 
a  particular  one,  arid  give  him  for  a  dwelling,  a  certain  tree,  serpent,  rock, 
or  waterfall,  and  him  they  make  their  fetish,  like  the  Africans  of  Congo." 
Volney,  p.  417, 


100 

"  When  we  arrived  on  the  west  side  of  the  River,  each  painted  the  front, 
of  his  target  or  shield;  some  with  the  figure  of  the  sun,  others  with  that  ot 
the  moon,  several  with  different  kinds  of  birds  and  beasts  of  prey,  and 
many  with  the  images  of  imaginary  beings,  which,  according  to  their  silly 
notions,  are  the  inhabitants  of  the  different  elements,  earth,  sea,  air,  &c.  On 
inquiring  the  reason  of  their  doing  so,  I  learned  that  each  man  painted  his 
shield  with  the  image  of  that  being  on  which  he  relied  most  for  success  in 
the  intended  engagement."  Hearne,  149. 

Yet  Hearne  affirms  elsewhere  that  they  had  no  religion  ! — He  speaks  in 
this  place  of  the  Chepewyan,  or  Northern  Indians,  passing  the  Copper-mine 
River  to  attack  the  Esquimaux. 

Just  above  the  mouth  of  Stone  Idol  Creek,  "  we  discovered  that  a  few 
miles  back  from  the  Missouri  there  are  two  stones  resembling  human  figures, 
and  a  third  like  a  dog ;  all  which  are  objects  of  great  veneration  among  the 
Ricaras. — Whenever  they  (the  Ricaras)  pass  these  sacred  stones,  they  stop  to 
make  some  offering  of  drtss  to  propitiate  these  deities.  Such  is  the  account 
given  by  the  Ricara  Chief."  Lewis  and  Clarke,  (1804,)  vol.  1.  p.  107. 

Hariot,  a  servant  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  says  of  the  natives  of  Virginia, 
(anno  1587.)  "  They  thinke  that  all  the  Gods  are  of  humane  shape,  and 
therefore  they  represent  them  by  images  in  the  formes  of  men  which  they  call 
Kewasowok,  one  alone  is  called  Kewas:  them  they  place  in  houses  appro 
priate  or  temples,  which  they  call  Machicomuck,  where  they  worship,  pray, 
sing,  and  make  many  times  offering  unto  them.  In  some  Machicomuck  we 
have  seene  but  one  Kewas,  in  some  two,  and  in  other  some,,  three.  The 
common  sort  thinke  them  to  be  also  Gods."  Hakluyt,  vol.  3.  p.  277.  See 
also  Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  948.  of  the  Virginian  rites  related  by  Master  Hariot. 

"  Their  Idoll,  called  Kiwasa"  says  the  same  author,  "is  made  of  wood 
foure  foot  high,  the  face  resembling  the  inhabitants  of  Florida,  painted  with 
fleshe  colour,  the  brest  white,  the  other  parts  black,  except  the  legs,  which 
are  spotted  with  white  ;  he  hath  chaines  or  strings  of  beades  about  his 
neck."  Hariot,  apud  Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  950. 

"  There  is  yet  in  Virginia,"  says  Captain  Smith,  "  no  place  discovered  to 
be  so  savage  in  which  the  Savages  have  not  a  religion. — All  things  that  were 
able  to  doe  them  hurt  beyond  their  prevention,  they  adore  with  their  kinde 
of  divine  worship ;  as  the  fire,  water,  lightning,  thunder,  our  ordnance  pieces, 
horses,  &c.  But  their  Chiefe  God  they  worship  is  the  Divell ;  him  they 
call  Oke,  and  serve  him  more  of  feare  than  love.  They  say  they  have  con 
ference  with  him,  and  fashion  themselves  as  neere  to  his  shape  as  they  can 
imagine.  In  their  temples  they  have  his  image  evil  farouredly  carved,  and  then 
painted  and  adorned  with  chaines,  copper  and  beades,  and  covered  with  a  skin. 
in  such  manner  as  the  deformitie  may  well  suite  with  such  a  God."  De 
scription  of  Virginia,  Purchas,  lib.  ix.  cap.  iii.  vol.  4.  p.  1701. 


101 


NOTE  M. 

"  There  is  an  herbe  which  is  sowed  apart  by  itselfe,  and  is  called  by  the 
inhabitants  Uppowoc :  in  the  West  Indies  it  hath  divers  names,  according  to 
the  severall  places  and  countreys  where  it  groweth  and  is  used ;  the  Span- 
yards  generally  call  it  Tobacco. — This  Uppowoc  is  of  so  precious  estimation 
amongst  them,  that  they  thinke  their  gods  are  marvellously  delighted  there 
with  :  whereupon  sometime  they  make  hallowed  fires,  and  cast  some  of  the 
ponder  therein  for  a  sacrifice :  being  in  a  storme  upon  the  waters,  to  pacifie  their 
gods,  they  cast  some  up  into  the  aire,  and  into  the  water :  so  a  weare  for  fish  be 
ing  newly  set  up,  they  cast  some  therein  and  into  the  aire  :  also  after  an  escape 
of  danger,  they  cast  some  into  the  aire  likewise  :  but  all  done  with  strange 
gestures,  stamping,  sometime  dancing,  clapping  of  hands,  holding  up  of 
hands,  and  staring  up  into  the  heavens,  uttering  therewithal!  and  chattering 
strange  words  and  noises."  Hariot,  apud  Hakluyt,  vol.  3.  p.  271-2. 

"  In  every  territory  of  a  Wcrowance,  is  a  temple  and  a  priest,  two  or  three, 
or  more.  The  principall  temple,  or  place  of  superstition,  is  at  Uttamussack, 
at  Pamaunk,  and  neere  unto  which  is  a  house,  temple, or  place  of  Powhatans, 
Upon  the  top  of  certain  red  sandy  hils  in  the  woods,  there  are  three  great 
houses  filled  ivith  images  of  their  kings,  and  divels,  and  tombs  of  their  prede 
cessors.  Those  houses  are  neere  sixty  foot  in  length,  built  arbor-wise,  after 
their  building.  This  place  they  count  so  holy,  as  that  none  but  the  priests 
and  kings  dare  come  into  them  ;  nor  the  savages  dare  not  go  up  the  river  in 
boates  by  it,  but  that  they  solemnly  cast  some  peece  of  copper,  white  beads,  or 
pocones  into  the  river  ;  for  feare  their  Oke  should  be  offended  and  revenged  of 
them.  In  this  place  commonly  are  resident,  seven  priests,1'  &c.  Smith's 
Description  of  Virginia.  Purchas,  lib.  ix.  chap.  iii.  vol.4,  p.  1701. 

NOTE  N. 

How  exactly  the  Zemcs  of  the  Islanders  corresponded  with  the  Okies  or 
Manittoes  of'  the  present  Continental  Indians,  will  appear  from  the  following 
relation  in  Purchas : 

"  Now,  concerning  the  Zemes  and  the  superstitions  of  Hispaniola,  the 
Spaniards  had  beene  long  in  the  iland  before  they  knew  that  the  people 
worshipped  any  thing  but  the  lights  of  Heaven;  but  after,  by  further  con 
versing  and  living  amongst  them,  they  came  to  know  more  of  their  religion, 
of  which,  one  Ramonus,  a  Spanish  heremite,  writ  a  booke,  and  Martyr  hath 
borrowed  of  him  to  lend  us.  It  is  apparent,  by  the  images  which  they  wor 
shipped,  that  there  appeared  unto  them  certaine  illusions  of  evil  spirits. 
These  images  they  made  of  Gossampine  cotton  hard  stopped,  sitting,  like  thp 
pictures  of  the  Divel,  which  they  called  Zernes ;  whom  they  take  to  be  the 


102 

mediators  and  messengers  of  the  Great  God,  which  they  acknowledge  Qn(., 
Eternall,  Infinite,  Omnipotent,  Invisible.  Of  these  they  thinke  they  obtaine 
raine  or  faire  weather  ;  and  when  they  goe  to  the  warres,  they  have  ccrtaine 
little  ones  which  they  bind  to  their  foreheads.  Every  king  hath  his  particular 
Zemes,  which  he  honoureth.  They  call  the  Eternall  God  by  these  two  names, 
Jocanna  and  Guamanomocon,  as  their  predecessors  taught  them,  affirming, 
that  he  hath  a  father,  called  by  these  five  names,  Attabeira,  Mamona,  Guaca- 
rapita,  Liella,  Guimazoa. 

"  They  make  the  Zemes  of  divers  matter  and  forme  :  some  of  wood,  as  they 
were  admonished  by  certaine  visions  appearing  to  them  in  the  woods : 
others,  which  had  received  answere  of  them  among  the  rockes,  make  them 
of  stone  :  some  of  rootes,  to  the  similitude  of  such  as  appeare  to  them  when 
they  gather  the  rootes  whereof  they  make  their  bread,  thinking  that  the 
Zemes  sent  them  plenty  of  these  rootes.  They  attribute  a  Zemes  to  the  par 
ticular  tuition  of  every  thing  ; — some  assigned  to  the  sea,  others  to  fountaines, 
woods,  or  other  their  peculiar  charges."  Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  1091. 

NOTE  O. 

"  The  Mandans,"  according  to  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke,  1804,  "  be 
lieve"  that  "  the  whole  nation"  formerly  "  resided  in  one  large  village  under 
ground,  near  a  subterraneous  lake."  Accident  made  them  acquainted  with 
the  charms  of  the  upper  region,  and  about  one  half  of  the  nation  ascended 
to  the  surface  of  the  earth.  When  they  die,  they  expect  to  return  to  the 
original  seats  of  their  forefathers;  "  the  good  reaching  the  ancient  village  by 
means  of  the  lake,  which  the  burden  of  the  sins  of  the  wicked  will  not  ena 
ble  them  to  cross."  See  the  tradition  related  at  large,  Exped.  up  the  Mis 
souri,  vol.  1.  p.  139. 

"  Kagohami  came  down  to  see  us  early ;  his  village  is  afflicted  by  the 
death  of  one  of  their  eldest  men,  who,  from  his  account  to  us,  must  have 
seen  one  hundred  and  twenty  winters.  Just  as  he  was  dying,  he  requested 
his  grandchildren  to  dress  him  in  his  best  robe  when  he  was  dead,  and  then 
carry  him  on  a  hill,  and  seat  him  on  a  stone,  with  his  face  down  the  river 
towards  their  old  villages,  that  he  might  go  straight  to  his  brother,  who  had 
passed  before  him  to  the  ancient  village  under  ground."  Ibid,  vol.  1  p.  163. 

It  is  remarkable  how  many  of  the  Indian  nations  think  they  formerly 
lived  under  ground. 

"They,"  the  natives  of  Virginia,  (anno,  1587,)  "believe  also  the  immor- 
talitie  of  the  soule,  that  after  this  life,  as  soone  as  the  soule  is  departed  from 
the  body,  according  to  the  workes  it  hath  done,  it  is  either  caried  to  heaven,the 
habitacle  of  Gods,  there  to  enjoy  perpptuall  blisse  and  happinesse,  or  els  to  a 
great  pitle  or  hole,  which  they  thinke  to  be  in  the  furthest  parts  of  their  part 


IDS 

of  the  world  toward  the  sunne  set,  there  to  burne  continually  :  the  place 
they  call  Popogusso."     Harlot,  apud  Hackluyt,  vol.3,  p.  277. 

"  They  think  that  their  werowances  and  priests,  which  they  also  esteeme 
Quiyougkcosughes,  when  they  are  dead,  goe  beyond  the  mountaines  towards 
the  setting  of  the  sunne,  and  ever  remaine  there  in  forme  of  their  Oke, 
with  their  heads  painted  with  oile  and  pocones,  finely  trimmed  with  feathers, 
and  shall  have  beades,  hatchets,  copper,  and  tobacco,  doing  nothing  but 
dance  and  sing,  with  all  their  predecessors,"  &c.  Capt.  Smith's  Description 
of  Virginia,  apud  Purchas,  vol.  iv.  p.  1702. 

NOTE  P. 

See  Heckewelder's  account  of  Indian  funerals,  Hist.  Ace.  p.  262-271. 
"  This  hole"  (in  the  coffin)  "  is  for  the  spirit  of  the  deceased  to  go  in  and  out 
at  pleasure,  until  it  has  found  the  place  of  its  future  residence."  p.  266.  "  At 
dusk  a  kettle  of  victuals  was  carried  to  the  grave,  and  placed  upon  it,  and  the 
same  was  done  every  evening/or  the  space  of  three  weeks,  at  the  end  of  which, 
it  was  supposed  that  the  traveller  had  found  her  place  of  residence"  p  270. 
This  was  the  funeral  of  the  wife  of  Shingask,  a  noted  Delaware  chief,  at 
which  Mr.  H.  was  present  in  1762. 

Blackbird,  a  Maha  chief,  died  of  the  smallpox  about  four  years  before 
Lewis  and  Clarke's  expedition,  (i.  e.  in  1800.)  On  the  top  of  a  knoll,  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  water,  a  mound  of  twelve  feet  diameter  at  the  base, 
and  six  feet  high,  is  raised  over  the  body  of  the  deceased  king.  "  Ever  since 
his  death  he  is  supplied  with  provisions  from  time  to  time,  by  the  superstitious 
regard  of  the  Mafias"  Lewis  and  Clarke's  Exped.  up  the  Missouri,  vol.  1. 
p.  43.  "  The  effects  of  the  small  pox  on  that  nation"  (the  Mahas)  «  are  most 
distressing. — They  had  been  a  military  and  powerful  people,  but  when  these 
warriors  saw  their  strength  wasting  before  a  malady  which  they  could  not 
resist,  their  frenzy  was  extreme  j  they  burnt  their  village,  and  many  of  them 
put  to  death  their  wives  and  children,  to  save  them  from  so  cruel  an  afflic 
tion,  and  that  all  might  go  together  to  some  better  country"  Ibid.  p.  45, 
Compare  with  this,  Hebr.  xi.  14,  15,  16. 

NOTE  Q. 

"  When  any  of  their  relations  die,"  says  Adair,  "  they  immediately  fire 
off  several  guns,  by  one,  two,  and  three  at  a  time,  for  fear  of  being  plagued 
with  the  last  troublesome  neighbours  :"  (the  Hottuk  ookproose,  accursed 
people,  or  evil  spirits.)  "  All  the  adjacent  towns  also  on  the  occasion,  whoop 
and  halloo  at  night;  for  they  reckon,  this  offensive  noise  sends  off  the 
ghosts  to  their  proper  fixed  place,  till  they  return  at  some  certain  time,  to 


104 

repossess  their  beloved  tract  of  land,  and  enjoy  their  terrestrial  paradise. 
As  they  believe  in  God,  so  they  firmly  believe  that  there  is  a  class  of  higher 
beings  than  men,  and  a  future  state  of  existence."  Hist,  of  North  American 
Indians,  p.  36. 


NOTE  R. 

In  another  place,  Charlevoix  mentions  the  superstitions  of  the  Ottavvas. 
among  whom  an  Idol  was  erected,  "  et  tout  le  monde  occupe  a  lui  sacrifier 
des  Chiens."  Hist,  de  la  Nouv.  France,  Tom.  1.  p.  392.  "  Les  Criques 
adorent  le  soleil,  auquel  ils  sacrifient  des  Chiens."  Ibid.  p.  397. 

Lewis  and  Clarke,  (anno  1804,)  observed  the  same  custom  among 
the  Tetous  Okandandas.  "  The  hall,  or  council  room,  was  in  the  shape 
of  three  quarters  of  a  circle  covered  at  the  top  and  sides  with  skins 
well  dressed  and  sewed  together.  Under  this  shelter  sat  about  70 
men,  forming  a  circle  round  the  chief,  before  whom  were  placed  a  Spa 
nish  flag,  and  the  one  we  had  given  them  yesterday,"  kc. — "  After  he 
had  ceased,  the  great  chief  rose  and  delivered  an  harangue  to  the  same 
effect :  then,  with  great  solemnity,  he  took  some  of  the  mod  delicate  parts 
ef  the  dog,  which  was  cooked  for  the  festival,  and  held  it  to  the  flag  by 
way  of  sacrifice, :  this  done,  he  held  up  the  pipe  of  peace,  and  first  pointed  it 
towards  the  heavens,  then  to  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  then  to  the 
earth,  made  a  short  speech,  lighted  the  pipe,  and  presented  it  to  us."  Expe 
dition  up  the  Missouri,  vol.  1.  p.  84. 

"  When  any  of  the  young  men  of  these  nations,  (Iroquois,)  have  a  mind 
to  signalize  themselves,  and  to  gain  a  reputation  among  their  countrymen, 
by  some  notable  enterprise  against  their  enemy,  they,  at  first,  communicate 
their  design  to  two  or  three  of  their  most  intimate  friends ;  and  if  they  come 
into  it,  an  invitation  is  made  in  their  names  to  all  the  young  men  of  the 
Castle  to  feast  on  dog's  flesh  ;  but  whether  this  be  because  dog's  flesh  is  most 
agreeable  to  Indian  palates,  or  whether  it  be  as  an  emblem  of  fidelity  for 
which  the  dog  is  distinguished  by  all  nations,  that  it  is  always  used  on 
this  occasion,  I  have  not  sufficient  information  to  determine.  When  the 
company  is  met,  the  promoters  of  the  enterprise  set  forth  the  undertaking 
in  the  best  colours  they  can ;  they  boast  of  what  they  intend  to  do,  and 
incite  others  to  join,  from  the  glory  there  is  to  be  obtained  ;  and  all  who  eat 
of  the  dog's  flesh,  thereby  enlist  themselves."  Colden's  Hist,  of  Five  Indian 
ISations  of  Canada,  Introduc.  p.  vi. 

Bernal  Diaz,  one  of  the  companions  of  Cortes,  mentions  the  same  prac 
tice  as  prevailing  among  the  Mexicans. 

"  When  he  arrived  at  the  summit,  he  found  there  an  Indian  woman,  very 


105 

fat,  and  having  with  her  a  dog  of  that  species^  which  they  breed  in  order  t6  eat, 
and  which  do  not  bark.  This  Indian  was  a  witch ;  she  was  in  ihe  act  of 
sacrificing  the  dog  which  is  a  signal  of  hostility."  The  true  Hist,  of  the  Con 
quest  of  Mexico,  by  Captain  Bernal  Diaz  del  Castillo,  one  of  the  Conquer 
ors,  written  in  the  year  1568.  Keatinge's  Trans,  p.  352. 

In  the  Scriptures,  dogs  and  swine  are  continually  mentioned  together  as 
animals  equally  unclean.'  Hence,  the  prophet,  reprehending  the  hypocrisy 
of  those  who  rested  in  mere  external  observances,  could  think  of  no  stronger 
figure  to  represent  the  abhorrence  with  which  God  regarded  their  offerings, 
than  the  comparison  of  them  to  the  sacrifice  of  dogs  and  swine.  "  He  that 
sacrificeth  a  lamb,  is  as  if  he  cut  off  a  dog's  neck;  he  that  offereth  an  obla* 
tion  as  if  he  offered  swine's  blood,"  &c.  Isaiah,  Ixvi.  3.  Comp.  Matt.  vii.  6. 
and  2  Pet.  ii.  22.  The  law  not  only  forbade  dogs  to  be  offered  to  God,  but 
even  the  price  for  which  dogs  were  sold.  Deut.  xxiii.  18.  See  Bochart 
Hieroz.  lib.  ii.  cap.  Ivi.  pars.  1.  p.  690. 

Is  it  credible  that  nations,  descended  from  the  Hebrews,  would  have  so 
Far  forgotten  their  origin,  as  to  offer  In  sacrifice,  what  the  law  of  Moses 
declared  to  be  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God  ? — Adair  speaks  of  the 
aversion  which  the  Indians  originally  had  to  swine's  flesh,  as  a  proof  of 
their  Hebrew  origin,  but  is  silent  respecting  the  practice  of  sacrificing  and 
eating  that  of  dogs.  Hist.  N.  Amer.  Indians,  p.  133-4, 

NOTE  s.     ,  Bancroft  Library 

Hearne,  speaking  of  the  superstitious  observances  of  the  Chepewyan  In 
dians,  after  an  engagementl|with  the  Esquimaux,  says,  that  all  who  had  shed" 
blood  were  considered  in  a  state  of  uncleanness,  and  were  not  permitted  to 
cook  any  victuals  for  themselves  or  others.  The  murderers  painted  all  the 
space  between  the  nose  and  chin,  as  well  as  the  greater  part  of  their  cheeks, 
with  red  ochre  before  they  would  taste  a  bit  of  food,  and  would  not  drink 
out  of  any  other  dish,  or  smoke  out  of  any  other  pipe  but  their  own ;  and 
none  of  the  others  seemed  willing  to  drink  or  smoke  out  of  theirs.  All 
these  ceremonies  were  observed  from  the  time  of  their  killing  the  Esqui 
maux  in  July,  till  the  winter  began  to  set  in,  and  during  the  whole  of  that 
time  they  would  never  kiss  any  of  their  wives  or  children.  They  refrained 
also  from  eating  many  parts  of  the  deer,  and  other  animals,  particularly  the 
head,  entrails,  and  blood ,  and  during  their  uncleanness,  their  victuals  were 
never  sodden  in  water,  but  dried  in  the  sun,  eaten  quite  raw,  or  boiled,  wheu 
a  fire  fit  for  the  purpose  could  be  procured. 

"  When  the  time  arrived  for  putting  an  end  to  these  ceremonies,  the  men, 
without  a  female  "being  present,  made  a  fire  at  some  distance  from  the  tenti) 
into  which  they  threw  all  their  ornaments,  pipe-stems,  and  dishes,  which 

14 


106 

were  socrn  consumed  to  ashes ;  after  which  a  feast  was  prepared,  consisting, 
of  such  articles  as  they  had  long  been  prohibited  from  eating ;  and  when  all 
was  over,  each  man  was  at  liberty  to  eat,  drink,  and  smoke  as  he  pleased ; 
and  also  to  kiss  his  wives  and  children  at  discretion,  which  they  seemed  to 
do  with  more  raptures  than  I  had  ever  known  them  do  it  either  before  or 
since."  Hearne,  p.  204-6.  This  was  Evidently  an  expiatory  rite,  a  purifi 
cation  by  fire  and  a  sacrifice.  How  inconsistent  with  Hearne's  assertion  in 
another  place,  that  they  have  no  religion! 

Captain  Smith  thus  describes  the  worship  of  the  natives  of  Virginia : 

ft  The  manner  of  their  devotion  is,  sometimes  to  make  a  great  fire  in  the 
house  or  fields,  and  all  to  sing  and  dance  about  it  with  rattles,  and  shout  to 
gether  four  or  five  houres.  Sometime  they  set  a  man  in  the  midst,  and  about 
him  they  dance  and  sing,  he  all  the  while  clapping  his  hands,  as  if  he  would 
keepe  time,  and  after  their  songs  and  dances  ended,  they  goe  to  their  feasts. 

"  They  have  also  certaine  altar  stones,  they  call  Pawcorances,  but  these 
stand  from  their  temples,  some  by  their  houses,  others  in  the  woods  and 
wildernesses,  where  they  have  had  any  extraordinary  accident  or  incoun- 
ter.  As  you  travell  by  them  they  will  tell  you  the  cause  of  their  erection, 
wherein  they  instruct  their  children ;  so  that  they  are  in  stead  of  records 
and  memorialls  of  their  antiquities.  Upon  this  they  offer  Bloud,  Deare  Suet, 
and  Tobacco.  These  they  doe  when  they  returne  from  the  warres,from  hunt 
ing,  and  upon  many  other  occasions.  They  have  also  another  superstition  that 
they  use  in  stormcs,  when  the  waters  are  rough  in  the  Rivers  and  Seacoasts. 
Their  conjurers  runne  to  the  water  sides,  or  passing  in  their  boats,  after 
many  hellish  outcries  and  invocations,  they  cast  tobacco,  copper,  pocones,  or 
such  trash,  into  the  water,  to  pacific  that  God  whom  they  think e  to  be  very  angry 
in  those  stormes.  Before  their  dinners  and  suppers,  the  better  sort  will  take 
the  first  bit,  and  cast  it  in  the  fire,  which  is  all  the  grace  they  are  knowne  to 
use."  Description  of  Virginia,  by  Captaine  John  Smith.  Purchas,  lib.  ix. 
chap.  Hi.  vol.4,  p.  1702. 

Mr.  Winslow  gives  the  following  account  of  the  religious  rites  of  the  na 
tives  of  New-England : 

"  Many  sacrifices  the  Indians  use,  am]  in  some  cases  kill  children.  It  seem- 
eth  they  are  various  in  their  religious  worship  in  a  little  distance,  and  grow 
more  and  more  cold  in  their  worship  to  Kiehtan,"  &c.  "  The  Nanohigganses 
exceed  in  their  blind  devotion,  and  have  a  great  spatious  house  wherein 
onely  some  few  (that  as  we  may  tearme  them  priests)  come  :  thither  at  cer 
taine  knowne  times,  resort  all  their  people,  and  offer  almost  all  the  riches  they 
have  to  their  Gods,  as  kettles,  skills,  hatchets,  bcades,  knives,  fyc.  all  which  are  cast 
by  the  priests  into  a  great  Jire  that  tb.ey  make  in  the  midst  of  the  house,  and  there 
consumed  to  ashes.  To  this  offering,  every  man  bringeth  freely,  and  the  more 
hee  is  knowne  to  bring,  hath  the  better  esteeme  of  all  men."  Good  News 
from  New-England,  &.c.  Purchas,  vol.  4.  lib.  x.  chap.  v.  p.  1867-8. 


107 


NOTE  T. 

"  One  would  think  it  scarce  possible,"  says  Bryant  in  his  Analysis  of  An- 
iient  Mythology,  "  that  so  unnatural  a  custom,  as  that  of  human  sacrifices, 
should  have  existed  in  the  world ;  but  it  is  very  certain,  that  it  did  not  only 
exist,  but  almost  universally  prevail."  Analysis,  Edit.  3d.  8vo.  Lond.  1807. 
vol.  6.  p.  295. 

From  this  learned  writer  I  select  a  few  examples  of  this  horrid  practice, 
referring  for  complete  satisfaction  on  this  interesting  subject  to  the  work 
itself. 

"  Phylarchus  affirms,  as  he  is  quoted  by  Porphyry,  that  of  old,  every 
Grecian  state  made  it  a  rule,  before  they  marched  towards  an  enemy,  to 
solicit  a  blessing  on  their  undertakings  by  human  victims.  Aristomenes> 
the  Messenian,  slew  300  noble  Lacedemonians,  among  whom  wras  Theo- 
pompus,  the  King  of  Sparta,  at  the  altar  of  Jupiter,  at  Ithome.  The  Spar 
tan  boys  were  whipped,  in  the  sight  of  their  parents,  with  such  severity  be 
fore  the  altar  of  Diana  Orthia,  that  they  often  expired  under  the  torture. 

Among  the  Romans,  "  Caius  Marius  offered  up  his  own  daughter  for  a  vie* 
tim  to  the  Dii  Averrunci,  to  procure  success  in  a  battle  against  the  Cimbri. 
When  Lentulus  and  Crassus  were  Consuls,  so  late  as  the  657th  year  of  Rome, 
a  law  was  enacted  that  there  should  be  no  more  human  sacrifices. — This 
law,  however,  was  not  sufficient  to  produce  their  abolition,  for  not  very  long 
after  this,  it  is  reported,  by  Suetonius,  of  Augustus  Caesar,  when  Perusia  sur 
rendered  in  the  time  of  the  second  Triumvirate,  that,  beside  multitudes 
executed  in  a  military  manner,  he  offered  up,  upon  the  Ides  of  March,  300 
chosen  persons,  both  of  the  Equestrian  and  Senatorian  Order,  at  .an  altar 
dedicated  to  the  manes  of  his  Uncle  Julius  Even  at  Rome  itself  this  cus 
tom  was  revived :  and  Porphyry  assures  us,  that,  in  his  time,  a  man  was 
every  year  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  Jupiter  Latiaris.  Heliogabalus  offered 
the  like  victims  to  the  Syrian  Deity,  which  he  introduced  among  the  Ra 
mans.  The  same  is  .said  of  Aurelian. 

"  The  Carthaginians,  upon  a  great  defeat  of  their  army  by  Agathocles,  see 
ing  the  enemy  at  their  gates,  seized  at  once  200  children  of  the  prime  nobi 
lity,  and  offered  them  in  public  for  a  sacrifice.  Three  hundred  more,  being 
persons  who  were  somehow  obnoxious,  yielded  themselves  voluntarily,  and 
were  put  to  death  with  the  others.  The  neglect  of  which  they  accused 
themselves,  consisted  in  sacrificing  children,  purchased  of  parents  among 
the  poorer  sort  who  reared  them  for  that  purpose ;  and  not  selecting  the 
most  promising,  and  the  most  honourable,  as  had  been  the  custom  of  old. 
In  short,  there  were  particular  children  brought  up  for  the  altar,  as  sheep  are 
fattened  for  the  shambles :  and  they  were  bought  and  butchered  in  the 
same  manner. — If  a  person  had  an  only  child,  it  was  the  more  liable  to  be 
put  to  death,  as  being  esteemed  more  acceptable  to  the  deity,  and  more  effi- 


108 

eacious  of  the  general  good,"  &c.  It  is  impossible  not  to  shudder  at  this 
dreadful  recital.  In  comparison  with  the  infernal  rites  of  these  civilised 
nations,  how  pure  is  the  religion  of  the  Savages  of  America ! 

NOTE  U. 

The  arts  practised  by  these  impostors,  when  called  upon  to  exercise  their 
supposed  power  of  healing,  are  thus  described  by  Mr.  Heckewelder.  "  At 
tired  in  a  frightful  dress,  he  approaches  his  patient,  with  a  variety  of  con 
tortions  and  gestures,  and  performs  by  his  side,  and  over  him,  all  the  antic 
tricks  that  his  imagination  can  suggest.  He  breathes  on  him,  blows  in  his 
mouth,  and  squirts  some  medicines,  which  he  has  prepared,  in  his  face, 
mouth,  and  nose ;  he  rattles  his  gourd  filled  with  diy  beans  or  pebbles,  pulls 
out  and  handles  about  a  variety  of  sticks  and  bundles,  in  which  he  appears 
to  be  seeking  for  the  proper  remedy,  all  which  is  accompanied  with  the  most 
horrid  gesticulations,  by  which  he  endeavours,  as  he  says,  to  frighten  the 
Spirit  or  the  disorder  away,"  &c.  Hist.  Account,  p.  225. 

Mr.  Hearne's  description  of  the  conjurers  among  the  Chepewyan  or 
Northern  Indians,  which  is  very  minute,  and  disgusting  enough,  corresponds 
so  exactly  with  Heckeweldcr's  account,  that  it  would  seem  as  if  the  same 
person  had  sat  to  each  for  his  picture.  From  the  following  passage  it  will 
be  seen  that  he  depends  for  success  upon  the  aid  of  his  attendant  Spirit. 

" — I  began  to  be  very  inquisitive  about  the  Spirits,  which  appear  to 
them,  on  these  occasions,  [swallowing  a  stick,  bayonet,  &.C.]  and  their  form  ; 
when  I  was  told  that  they  appeared  in  various  shapes,  for  almost  every 
conjurer  had  his  peculiar  attendant ;  but  that  the  Spirit  which  attended  the 
man  who  pretended  to  swallow  the  piece  of  wood,  they  said,  generally  ap 
peared  to  him  in  the  shape  of  a  cloud."  Hearne,  p.  217-18.  of  the  Northern 
or  Chepewyan  Indians. 

From  the  following  extracts,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  same  office  existed, 
attended  by  the  same  ceremonies,  and  the  same  results,  among  the  natives 
of  Virginia,  at  the  time  of  its  first  settlement  by  the  English. 

"  To  cure  the  sicke,  a  certaine  man  with  a  little  rattle,  using  extreme  howl- 
ings,  shouting,  singing,  with  divers  antick  and  strange  behaviours  over  the 
patient,  sucketh  blood  out  of  his  stomack  or  diseased  place."  News  from 
Virginia  by  Captain  Smith,  apud  Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  950. 

Master  Alexander  Whitaker,  Minister  to  the  Colony  at  Henrico,  anno 
1613,  states,  that  "  they  stand  in  great  awe  of  the  Quiokosoughs,  or  priests, 
which  are  a  generation  of  vipers,  even  of  Sathan's  owne  brood.  The  man 
lier  of  their  life  is  much  like  to  the  Popish  Hermits  of  our  age  ;  for  they  live 
alone  in  the  woods,  in  houses  sequestered  from  the  common  course  of  men,, 
neither  may  any  man  be  suffered  to  come  into  their  house;  or  to  speaJse  with 


109 

them,  but  when  this  priest  doth  call  him.  He  taketh  no  care  for  his  victual^ 
for  all  such  kinde  of  things,  both  bread  and  water,  &c.  are  brought  unto  a 
place  neere  unto  his  cottage,  and  there  are  left,  which  hee  fetcheth  for  his 
proper  neede.  if  they  would  have  raine,  or  have  lost  any  thing,  they  have  their 
recourse  to  him,  who  conjurethfor  them,  and  many  times  prevaileth.  If  they  bt 
sick,  he  is  their  physician  ;  if  they  be  wounded,  he  sucketh  them.  At  his  com 
mand  they  make  warre  and  peace,  neither  doe  they  any  thing  of  moment  with" 
out  him."  Whitaker,  in  Purchas,  vol.  4.  p.  1771. 

Quiokosough  seems  to  have  been  an  appellation  common  to  their  Gods  and 
conjurers,  unless  it  be  a  mistake  of  the  English  settlers.  The  Virginian  In 
dians  so  fed  Captain  Smith,  "  that  he  much  misdoubted  that  he  should  have 
beene  sacrificed  to  the  Quoyoughquosicke,  which  is  a  superiour  power  they 
worshippe,  then  the  Image  whereof,  a  more  ugly  thing  cannot  be  described." 
Purchas,  vol.  v.  p.  950. 

The  name  written  by  Whitaker,  Quiokosough,  and  by  Smith,  Quoyoughquo- 
sicke,  is,  no  doubt,  the  same  as  Kewasowok  in  Hariot's  account ;  a  proof  of 
the  uncertainty  of  the  orthography  of  Indian  words. 

Among  the  New-England  Indians,  the  same  office  was  designated  by  the 
name  of  Powah,  or  as  it  is  otherwise  written  Powow.  Thus  Mr.  Winslow 
states,  in  his  "  Good  Newes  from  New-England" — "  The  office  and  dutie  of 
the  Powah,  is  to  be  exercised  principally  in  calling  upon  the  Devill,  and  cur 
ing  diseases  of  the  sicke  and  wounded,  &c. 

"  In  the  Powah's  speech,  hee  promiseth  to  sacrifice  many  skinnes  of  Beasts, 
Kettles,  Hatchets,  Beades,  Knives,  and  other  the  best  things  they  have,  to  thejiend, 
if  hee  will  come  to  helpe  the  partie  diseased,"  &c.  Purchas,  vol.  iv.  lib.  x. 
cap.  v. 

The  Savages  of  Acadia,  according  to  Charlevoix,  called  their  Jongleurs, 
JJulmoins.  "  Dans  1'Acadie — quand  on  appelle  les  Jongleurs,  c'est  inoins  a 
cause  de  leur  habilete,  que  parce  qu'on  suppose,  qu'ils  peuvent  mieux  sqa- 
voir  des  Esprits  la  cause  du  mal,etles  remedes,  qu'il  y  faut  appliquer. — Dans 
1'Acadie,  les  Jongleurs  s'apelloient  £utmoins,et  c'etoit  ordinairement  le  chef 
du  village,  qui  etoit  revetu  de  cette  dignite."  Journal,  p.  367-8. 

In  the  Bohitii  of  the  natives  of  Hispaniola,  when  they  were  visited  by  Co 
lumbus,  we  clearly  recognize  the  same  office. 

"  Their  Boitii,  or  priests,  instruct  them  in  these  superstitions  :  these  are 
also  physicians,  making  the  people  beleeve  that  they  obtaine  health  for  them 
of  the  Zemes.  They  tye  themselves  to  much  fasting  and  outward  cleanlinesse 
and  purging  ;  especially  where  they  take  upon  them  the  cure  of  great  men : 
for  then  they  drunke  the  powder  of  a  certaine  hearbe,  which  brought  them  into  a 
furie,  wherein  they  said  they  learned  many  things  of  their  Zemes.  Much  adoe 
they  make  about  the  sicke  partie,  deforming  themselves  with  many  gesiurest 
breathing,' blowing,  sucking  the  forehead,  temples,  and  necke  of  the  patient ; 


110 

sometimes  also  saying,  that  the  Zemes  is  angrie  for  not  erecting  a  chappell,  or 
dedicating  to  him  a  grove  or  garden,  or  the  neglect  of  other  holies.  And  if 
the  sick  partie  die,  his  kins-folkes,  by  witchcraft,  enforce  the  dead  to  speake, 
and  tell  them  whether  hee  died  by  naturall  destinie,  or  by  the  negligence  of 
the  BoitiS,  in  not  fasting  the  full  due,  or  ministring  convenient  medicine  :  so 
that,  if  these  physicians  be  found  faulty,  they  take  revenge  of  them."  Pur- 
chas,  vol.  v.  p.  1003. 

NOTE  W. 

Seethe  very  interesting  report  of  Mr.  Duponceau,  to  the  Historical  and 
Literary  Committee  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society;  and  also  his 
Correspondence  with  Mr.  Heckewelder.  "  All  the  genuine  specimens  that 
we  have  seen,"  he  observes,  "  of  the  grammatical  forms  of  the  Indians  from 
North  to  South,  on  the  Continent  and  in  the  Islands,  exhibit  the  same  general 
features,  and  no  exception  whatever,  that  I  know  of,  has  yet  been  dis 
covered." 

"  When  we  find  so  many  different  idioms,  spoken  by  nations  which  reside 
at  immense  distances  from  each  other,  so  entirely  different  in  their  etymolo 
gy,  that  there  is  not  the  least  appearance  of  a  common  derivation,  yet  so  stri- 
tingly  similar  in  their  forms  that  one  would  imagine  the  same  mind  presided 
over  their  original  for  motion,  we  may  well  suppose  that  the  similarity  extends 
through  the  whole  of  the  language  of  this  race  of  men,  at  least  until  we  have 
dear  and  direct  proof  to  the  contrary."  Correspondence,  ut  supr.  Letter 
xxiii. 

Will  it  be  thought  an  extravagant  supposition,  that  it  was  the  Divine  mind 
which  presided  over  their  original  formation ;  and  that  when  God  confounded 
file  languages  of  men  for  the,  very  purpose  of  dispersing  them  throughout  the 
lEarth,  He  should  have  so  planned  the  systems  of  speech,  as  to  make  similar 
grammatical  forms  characterize  the  great  divisions  of  the  human  race  ? 

NOTE  X. 

In  this  opinion  I  am  supported  by  Charlevoix.  "  D'ailleurs  les  idees 
quoiqu'enticrement  confuses,  qui  leur  sont  restees  d'un  Premier  Etre,  les 
restiges  presqu'eftaces  du  culte  religieux,  qu'ils  paroissent  avoir  autrefois 
rendu  a  cette  Divinite  Supreme ;  et  les  foibles  traces,  qu'on  remarque, 
jusques  dans  leurs  actions  les  plus  indifferentes,  de  1'ancienne  croyance,  et 
de  la  religion  primitive,  peuvent  les  remettre  plus  facilement  qu'on  ne  croit, 
dans  le  chemin  de  la  verite,  et  donner  a  leur  conversion  au  christianisme  des 
facilites  qu'on  ne  reecontre  pas,  ou  qui  sont  contrebalancees  par  de  plus 
grands  obstacles,  dans  les  nations  les  plus  civilisees."  Charlevoix,  Journal; 
p,265. 


Ill 

On  this  subject,  Charlevoix  may  surely  be  admitted  as  a  competent  witness v 
!No  men  have  more  accurately  studied  the  human  character  than  the  Jesu 
its  ;  and  their  conversion  of  the  natives  of  Paraguay,  and,  what  is  still  more 
to  our  purpose,  the  success  of  their  present  attempts  to  civilize  and  convert 
the  Araucanians,  a  nation  unconquered  by  the  Spaniards,  and  in  the  highest 
degree  martial,  and  jealous  of  their  liberties,  is  a  convincing  proof  of  the 
wisdom  of  their  system.  Their  missionaries  are  never  solitary,  and  there 
fore  are  not  obliged  to  sink  to  the  level  of  the  savage  state,  in  order  to  enjoy 
the  privileges  of  social  life.  The  Indians,  also,  whom  they  educate,  are  in 
duced  to  marry  and  settle  around  them,  under  their  paternal  supervision,  in 
stead  of  being  again  incorporated  with  their  uncivilized  countrymen ; 
among  whom,  as  experience  has  fully  shown,  they  would  quickly  lose  all 
that  they  had  gained. 


'•" 


